


Reading the Books - Chamber of Secrets

by spirithorse16



Series: Hogwarts reads the books [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:27:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 168,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24735397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spirithorse16/pseuds/spirithorse16
Summary: This is part 2 of Reading the books
Relationships: Daphne Greengrass/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Series: Hogwarts reads the books [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1779118
Comments: 237
Kudos: 563





	1. Worst Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the wait, I managed to misplace my pen drive with all my notes,  
> Also, I have this habit of trying to tweak my work all the time,  
> But nevermind Chapter 1 is here, enjoy   
> Disclaimer: I own nothing

The next morning after breakfast everyone was sitting in the great hall anxiously waiting to begin reading about Harry's second year.

Hermione looked nervous causing Harry to shoot her a worried look. "What's wrong Mione?"

"We broke a lot of rules in our second year," Hermione said before casting a worried glance at the staff table and lowering her voice to barely above a whisper. "And I stole from Professor Snape, he's going to kill me."

"You'll be fine, Professor Dumbledore said we can't get into trouble for anything we read in these books," Harry said trying to comfort her. "I hate reading these books, do you think I want everyone reading every little detail of my life? No I don't, but it will make everyone see the truth about Sirius and Voldemort being back. All the bad stuff is worth it."

"Yeah," Hermione sighed. "You're right."

Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat. "We will now begin reading book two, which is entitled Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."

The students began to whisper to one another, none of them knew what really happened the day Ginny got taken, and now they'll all find out. Ginny looked around the hall nervously, she wasn't looking forward to anyone finding out about her part in the chamber opening.

The adults who didn't know about it looked confused.

"The Chamber of Secrets?" Tonks said. "Isn't that just a myth?"

"Oh no Miss Tonks, I assure you it isn't a myth," Dumbledore said. "Now who would like to read?"

"I will read Albus," Kingsley said in his soothing voice.

"Very good," Dumbledore said cheerfully passing him the book.

**"The Worst Birthday."**

"What a lovely way to start the book," Ginny said sarcastically.

**Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive.**

"Bloody hell, we have to read about those horrid people again!" Charlie said annoyed,

"It would appear so Mr Weasley," Dumbledore said

**Mr Vernon Dursley had been woken in the early hours of the morning by a loud, hooting noise from his nephew Harry's room.**

"What's wrong with Hedwig?" Hermione asked concerned.

"You'll see," Harry told her.

" **Third time this week!" he roared across the table. "If you can't control that owl, it'll have to go!"**

"What?" Ginny snapped. "He can't do that!"

 **Harry tried, yet again, to explain.** " **She's bored," he said. "She's used to flying around outside. If I could just let her out at night -"**

"They locked her up?" Hagrid asked in outrage. Harry nodded his head yes.

"Not the only thing they locked up that summer," Ron muttered but no one heard him.

"That's animal cruelty!" Hermione exclaimed.

"How does she hunt?" Charlie demanded.

"Hedwig's fine guys," Harry said. "I wouldn't let her starve.

" **Do I look stupid?"**

"Yes." Fred and George said, their mother didn't even bother to reprimand them, not liking the Dursley's either.

McGonagall, Pomfrey and Sprout looked like they agreed whole-heartedly with it,

**snarled Uncle Vernon, a bit of fried egg dangling from his bushy moustache.**

"Ew," Lavender squealed.

"Lovely," Parvarti said wrinkling her nose.

"Charming," muttered McGonagall to Sprout

**"I know what'll happen if that owl's let out."**

"What exactly does he think is going to happen?" Neville asked.

Harry shrugged, "He's just paranoid."

**He exchanged dark looks with his wife, Petunia.**

"For Merlin's sake!" Hermione said exasperated.

**Harry tried to argue back but his words were drowned by a long, loud belch from the Dursleys' son, Dudley.**

Most of the hall looked at the book disgusted.

" **I want more bacon."**

" **There's more in the frying pan, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia, turning misty eyes on her massive son. "We must build you up while we've got the chance… I don't like the sound of that school food…"**

Everyone looked at the book in disbelief.

"Build him up?" Ron asked incredulously.

"He's bloody huge!" Fred said.

"He looked like a bloody whale when I saw him," George said.

"My aunt is delusional," Harry said with a shrug.

Pomfrey and Molly just shook their heads in disgust,

**"Nonsense, Petunia, I never went hungry when I was at Smeltings," said Uncle Vernon heartily. "Dudley gets enough, don't you, son?"**

**Dudley, who was so large his bottom drooped over either side of the kitchen chair, grinned and turned to Harry.**

"Ew," Ginny said. "I can't believe someone who actually let themselves get so big."

"He's even bigger now," Harry said.

" **Pass the frying pan."**

" **You've forgotten the magic word," said Harry irritably.**

Ron and Hermione groaned.

"Don't even say it," Harry said knowing what his best friends were thinking. "I know I shouldn't have said that."

**The effect of this simple sentence on the rest of the family was incredible: Dudley gasped and fell off his chair with a crash that shook the whole kitchen; Mrs Dursley gave a small scream and clapped her hands to her mouth; Mr Dursley jumped to his feet, veins throbbing in his temples.**

"Really they're acting like You-Know-Who himself had shown up," McGonagall said.

"That whole family is overdramatic," Daphne said.

" **I meant 'please'!" said Harry quickly. "I didn't mean —"**

" **WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU," thundered his uncle, spraying spit over the table, "ABOUT SAYING THE 'M' WORD IN OUR HOUSE?"**

Most of the hall burst into laughter.

"The M-word?" Fred said in between his fit of laughter.

"Honestly," Sprout said shaking her head. "They're acting as if he said something vile."

"To them magic is vile," Harry said.

" **But I —"**

**"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN DUDLEY!" roared Uncle Vernon, pounding the table with his fist.**

"I'm sorry but wherein there was a threat?" Tonks asked.

"I saw it as Potter teaching Dudley some manners," sniffed McGonagall

"Just the fact that I'm in the same room as them is considered a threat," Harry muttered.

" **I just —"**

" **I WARNED YOU! I WILL NOT TOLERATE MENTION OF YOUR ABNORMALITY UNDER THIS ROOF!"**

"Abnormality?" The hall shouted.

"You're the abnormal ones!" Ernie snapped.

**Harry stared from his purple-faced uncle to his pale aunt, who was trying to heave Dudley to his feet.**

"I really hope she hurt herself." Ron spat, remembering the bars on his best friends window.

" **All right," said Harry, "all right…"**

**Uncle Vernon sat back down, breathing like a winded rhinoceros and watching Harry closely out of the corners of his small, sharp eyes.**

Several pairs of eyes were rolled.

"Honestly," Hermione muttered.

**Ever since Harry had come home for the summer holidays, Uncle Vernon had been treating him like a bomb that might go off at any moment, because Harry Potter wasn't a normal boy.**

"Of course you aren't," Fred said.

"You're completely abnormal," George said.

**As a matter of fact, he was as not normal as it is possible to be.**

"Exactly." Fred and George said.

"Thanks guys," Harry said rolling his eyes.

 **Harry Potter was a wizard** — **a wizard fresh from his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And if the Dursleys were unhappy to have him back for the holidays, it was nothing to how Harry felt.**

Most of the people in the hall sent him sympathetic looks, which he ignored as usual.

**He missed Hogwarts so much it was like having a constant stomachache. He missed the castle, with its secret passageways and ghosts, his classes (though perhaps not Snape, the Potions master),**

"And here I'd been pinning for you all summer," Snape drawled to the amusement of the room.

Harry rolled his eyes.

**the mail arriving by owl, eating banquets in the Great Hall,**

"The foods the best," Ron said smiling.

Hermione and Harry exchanged amused looks.

**sleeping in his four-poster bed in the tower dormitory, visiting the gamekeeper, Hagrid, in his cabin next to the Forbidden Forest in the grounds,**

Molly shot the gamekeeper a strict look, clearly not happy with the way the trio found out about the stone from him in their first year.

**and, especially, Quidditch,**

The students who love quidditch cheered.

**the most popular sport in the wizarding world (six tall goal posts, four flying balls, and fourteen players on broomsticks).**

"Why is the book explaining all this again?" Ron asked.

"Most likely in case someone didn't read the first one," Hermione told him.

**All Harry's spellbooks, his wand, robes, cauldron, and top-of-the-line Nimbus Two Thousand broomstick had been locked in a cupboard under the stairs by Uncle Vernon the instant Harry had come home.**

Glares were sent at the book.

"Better your stuff than you," Hermione said.

Harry and Ron exchanged looks, both were wondering what Hermione was going to say when she found out about the bars.

**What did the Dursleys care if Harry lost his place on the House Quidditch team because he hadn't practised all summer?**

"You're the best seeker Hogwarts has ever seen, there is no way I wouldn't of put you back on the team," Oliver said.

"How exactly would you of practised anyway?" Hermione asked. "You do live in a muggle town.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know actually, it was just the fact that it was locked away."

**Harry looked nothing like the rest of the family.**

"Thank Merlin," Harry muttered.

**Uncle Vernon was large and neckless, with an enormous black moustache; Aunt Petunia was horse-faced and bony; Dudley was blond, pink, and porky.**

"Lovely," Lavender said.

**Harry, on the other hand, was small and skinny, with brilliant green eyes and jet-black hair that was always untidy.**

"James and Lily," Remus said quietly.

**He wore round glasses, and on his forehead was a thin, lightning-shaped scar.**

**It was this scar that made Harry so particularly unusual, even for a wizard. This scar was the only hint of Harry's very mysterious past,**

"I wish it wasn't such a mystery," Harry muttered.

"Don't we all," Ron said.

**of the reason he had been left on the Dursleys' doorstep eleven years before.**

Many glares were sent towards the headmaster.

 **At the age of one year old, Harry had somehow survived a curse from the greatest Dark sorcerer of all time,** **Lord Voldemort,** **whose name most witches and wizards still feared to speak. Harry's parents had died in Voldemort's attack, but Harry had escaped with his lightning scar, and somehow — nobody understood why —Voldemort's powers had been destroyed the instant he had failed to kill Harry.**

Harry looked towards the headmaster. _'Dumbledore knows, he knows and now he won't even look at me.'_ He felt anger boil inside of him but pushed it down, now isn't the time to get mad.

**So Harry had been brought up by his dead mother's sister and her husband. He had spent ten years with the Dursleys, never understanding why he kept making odd things happen without meaning to, believing the Dursleys' story that he had got his scar in the car crash that had killed his parents.**

Glares were sent towards the book.

"I still can't believe those horrid people told you that," Hermione said.

**And then, exactly a year ago, Hogwarts had written to Harry, and the whole story had come out. Harry had taken up his place at wizard school, where he and his scar were famous…**

"Unfortunately," Harry mumbled.

**but now the school year was over, and he was back with the Dursleys for the summer, back to being treated like a dog that had rolled in something smelly.**

Harry thought that if looks could do damage then the book would've exploded into a thousand pieces by now.

**The Dursleys hadn't even remembered that today happened to be Harry's twelfth birthday.**

"This year you're having a proper birthday," Molly told him.

"That really isn't necessary Mrs. Weasley," Harry said looking embarrassed.

"Oh hush now of course it is," Molly said waving him off.

"Don't bother," Ron whispered. "Once she's determined there's no stopping her."

**Of course, his hopes hadn't been high; they'd never given him a real present, let alone a cake — but to ignore it completely…**

By now most of the hall was looking at Harry sadly.

"How anyone could treat such a kind boy so horribly is despicable." Sprout said to McGonagall who nodded in agreement.

**At that moment, Uncle Vernon cleared his throat importantly and said, "Now, as we all know, today is a very important day."**

"No way," Dean said. "They actually remembered?"

**Harry looked up, hardly daring to believe it.**

"I don't believe it either," Bill spat.

"I don't think anyone does," Arthur said sadly.

" **This could well be the day I make the biggest deal of my career," said Uncle Vernon.**

"Oh yes, a business deal is so much more important than a little boy," Molly growled.

Hermione was glaring at the book.

**Harry went back to his toast. Of course, he thought bitterly, Uncle Vernon was talking about the stupid dinner party. He'd been talking of nothing else for two weeks. Some rich builder and his wife were coming to dinner and Uncle Vernon was hoping to get a huge order from him (Uncle Vernon's company made drills).**

" **I think we should run through the schedule one more time," said Uncle Vernon. "We should all be in position at eight o'clock. Petunia, you will be —?"**

"They seriously plan these sorts of things?" Terry asked incredulously.

"Yes," Harry said.

"And here I thought they couldn't get any weirder," Anthony muttered.

" **In the lounge," said Aunt Petunia promptly, "waiting to welcome them graciously to our home."**

Ginny snorted. "I doubt that woman even knows what gracious means let alone knows how to behave that way."

" **Good, good. And Dudley?"**

" **I'll be waiting to open the door." Dudley put on a foul, simpering smile. "May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"**

"If I saw him I'd run as fast as I could in the opposite direction," Neville said.

Everyone turned to stare at the boy in shock, it wasn't like Neville to say something like that.

"What?" Neville asked turning red. "It's true."

Fred and George clapped him on the back. "Well said, Neville."

" **They'll love him!" cried Aunt Petunia rapturously.**

Several people snorted.

"Somehow I doubt that," Tracey said.

" **Excellent, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon. Then he rounded on Harry. "And you?"**

" **I'll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," said Harry tonelessly.**

Everyone turned to look at him sadly.

"That's how you spent your twelfth birthday?" Hermione asked looking like she was about to cry.

Harry shrugged. "I'd rather be in my room than with them."

Hermione gave him a hug. "That's horrible, no one should be forced to stay in their room on their birthday."

" **Exactly," said Uncle Vernon nastily. "I will lead them into the lounge, introduce you, Petunia, and pour them drinks. At eight-fifteen —"**

"I wonder how they'd react if their schedule was off?" George asked.

"My uncle would probably have a heart attack," Harry said.

George and Fred exchanged looks, pulled out a piece of parchment and began to write something down.

"What are they doing?" Hermione asked.

Ginny looked over Fred's shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "You don't wanna know."

Hermione looked at the twins warily. "Probably not."

" **I'll announce dinner," said Aunt Petunia.**

" **And, Dudley, you'll say —"**

" **May I take you through to the dining room, Mrs Mason?" said Dudley, offering his fat arm to an invisible woman.**

"These people are ridiculous," Susan said exasperated.

" **My perfect little gentleman!" sniffed Aunt Petunia.**

"I think I'm going to be sick," Ginny groaned.

**And you?" said Uncle Vernon viciously to Harry.**

" **I'll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," said Harry dully.**

" **Precisely. Now, we should aim to get in a few good compliments at dinner. Petunia, any ideas?"**

Most of the hall snorted or turned to give the book odd looks.

"They actually practice compliments?" Daphne asked, half in amusement, half in exasperation.

"They take being pathetic to a whole new level," Tracey said.

" **Vernon tells me you're a wonderful golfer, Mr Mason… Do tell me where you bought your dress, Mrs Mason…"**

Hermione rolled her eyes.

" **Perfect… Dudley?"**

" **How about —'We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr Mason, and I wrote about you.'"**

"It would be funny if Mr Mason asked him what exactly was in that essay," Hermione said.

Harry smiled, "I would've loved to see my uncles face if that had happened."

**This was too much for both Aunt Petunia and Harry. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and hugged her son, while Harry ducked under the table so they wouldn't see him laughing.**

"Don't let them see you," Molly said worriedly.

"Don't worry Mrs. Weasley they didn't," Harry assured her.

" **And you, boy?"**

**Harry fought to keep his face straight as he emerged.**

"You have better self-control than me, there's no way I would've been able to stop laughing," Dean said.

" **I'll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," he said.**

" **Too right, you will," said Uncle Vernon forcefully. "The Masons don't know anything about you and it's going to stay that way.**

3/4 of the hall glared at the book, as though it were the book's fault Harry was being mistreated,

**When dinner's over, you take Mrs Mason back to the lounge for coffee, Petunia, and I'll bring the subject around to drills. With any luck, I'll have the deal signed and sealed before the news at ten. Be shopping for a vacation home in Majorca this time tomorrow."**

**Harry couldn't feel too excited about this. He didn't think the Dursleys would like him any better in Majorca than they did on Privet Drive.**

"I don't know why I even thought that," Harry said shaking his head. "They wouldn't take me anyway."

Hermione squeezed his hand and Ron clapped his back.

"You'd be able to come to the Burrow," Ron told him.

"Thanks, Ron," Harry said.

" **Right — I'm off into town to pick up the dinner jackets for Dudley and me. And you," he snarled at Harry. "You stay out of your aunt's way while she's cleaning."**

"At least they aren't making you clean," Neville said.

"I wouldn't say that yet," Hermione said. "Chances are she'll make him do something."

**Harry left through the back door. It was a brilliant, sunny day. He crossed the lawn, slumped down on the garden bench, and sang under his breath:**

" **Happy birthday to me… happy birthday to me…"**

Harry turned red at all the pitying looks he was receiving.

"That's so sad," Susan said.

"Pathetic Potter." Malfoy sneered before paling at all the death glares he was receiving.

"You're such a git Malfoy," Daphne said.

"You aren't seriously standing up for Potter are you Greengrass?" Draco snapped.

"Just because I'm a Slytherin doesn't mean I'm a junior death eater like you Malfoy," Daphne snapped back.

Harry looked shocked that a Slytherin was standing up for him, especially the so-called ice queen of Slytherin.

**No cards, no presents, and he would be spending the evening pretending not to exist. He gazed miserably into the hedge. He had never felt so lonely. More than anything else at Hogwarts, more even than playing Quidditch, Harry missed his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.**

Hermione smiled and gave his hand a squeeze while Ron grinned at his best friend.

"We missed you too Harry," Hermione said.

**They, however, didn't seem to be missing him at all.**

"That's not true!" Ron and Hermione both said looking scandalized.

**Neither of them had written to him all summer, even though Ron had said he was going to ask Harry to come and stay.**

"What?" The majority of the great hall shouted.

"You two didn't write?" Bill snapped. "You promised you would!"

"We did!" Ron and Hermione said quickly.

"They did," Harry said. "You'll see later why I didn't get them."

**Countless times, Harry had been on the point of unlocking Hedwig's cage by magic and sending her to Ron and Hermione with a letter,**

McGonagall shook her head. "That wouldn't be a good idea."

**but it wasn't worth the risk. Underage wizards weren't allowed to use magic outside of school. Harry hadn't told the Dursleys this; he knew it was only their terror that he might turn them all into dung beetles that stopped them from locking him in the cupboard under the stairs with his wand and broomstick.**

More death glares were sent towards the book.

**For the first couple of weeks back, Harry had enjoyed muttering nonsense words under his breath and watching Dudley tearing out of the room as fast as his fat legs would carry him.**

Fred and George snickered.

"It was pretty amusing," Harry said with a smile.

"I want to yell at you or something but I just can't," Hermione said.

**But the long silence from Ron and Hermione had made Harry feel so cut off from the magical world that even taunting Dudley had lost its appeal — and now Ron and Hermione had forgotten his birthday.**

"We hadn't," Hermione reassured him.

"We never would," Ron said.

"I know guys," Harry told them.

**What wouldn't he give now for a message from Hogwarts? From any witch or wizard? He'd almost be glad of a sight of his archenemy, Draco Malfoy, just to be sure it hadn't all been a dream…**

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Now that's going too far," George said wrinkling his nose.

Harry snorted. "I was desperate to know that it wasn't all some crazy dream."

"I can't say I blame you," Hermione said.

**Not that his whole year at Hogwarts had been fun.**

"You don't consider jumping on a troll fun?" George asked in mock surprise.

"Or almost being eaten by a three-headed dog?" Fred asked in the same way.

"Or detention in the forbidden forest?" Lee asked.

"Or-" George began only to get cut off.

"We get it!" Harry said quickly.

**At the very end of the last term, Harry had come face-to-face with none other than Lord Voldemort himself. Voldemort might be a ruin of his former self, but he was still terrifying,**

Most of the 5th, 6th and 7th years paled at the reminder of how close they had been to Voldemort that year

**still cunning, still determined to regain power.**

Fudge was beginning to get a rather uncomfortable feeling,

**Harry had slipped through Voldemort's clutches for a second time, but it had been a narrow escape, and even now, weeks later, Harry kept waking in the night, drenched in a cold sweat, wondering where Voldemort was now, remembering his livid face, his wide, mad eyes —**

"Did nobody suggest counselling or anything of the sort?" Amelia asked.

The teachers exchanged looks.

"We were under the impression he had a loving family who he could talk to," McGonagall said.

Amelia raised her eyebrows and made an indistinct noise in her throat. "Maybe next time you should offer some."

"Of course Madam Bones," Dumbledore said.

**Harry suddenly sat bolt upright on the garden bench. He had been staring absent-mindedly into the hedge — and the hedge was staring back.**

"What?" Dennis asked.

**Two enormous green eyes had appeared among the leaves.**

"What's there?" Molly asked grabbing her husbands arm.

"Nothing dangerous," Harry said.

"I wouldn't say that," Ron muttered. "He almost killed you."

Harry shot him a sharp look. "He was trying to help me."

Ron snorted. "If you consider a broken arm helping."

Harry sighed and rubbed his temples.

**Harry jumped to his feet just as a jeering voice floated across the lawn.**

" **I know what day it is," sang Dudley, waddling toward him.**

"He actually knows the days of the week?" Lisa asked. "That's surprising."

**The huge eyes blinked and vanished.**

" **What?" said Harry, not taking his eyes off the spot where they had been.**

" **I know what day it is," Dudley repeated, coming right up to him.**

" **Well done," said Harry. "So you've finally learned the days of the week."**

"A huge achievement I'm sure," Hermione said dryly.

" **Today's your birthday," sneered Dudley. "How come you haven't got any cards? Haven't you even got friends at that freak place?"**

"Of course he does!" All of Harry's friends shouted causing Harry to blush.

" **Better not let your mum hear you talking about my school," said Harry coolly.**

**Dudley hitched up his trousers, which were slipping down his fat bottom.**

Parvarti and Lavender wrinkled their noses in disgust.

" **Why're you staring at the hedge?" he said suspiciously.**

" **I'm trying to decide what would be the best spell to set it on fire," said Harry.**

The hall broke into laughter.

"Nice one mate," Dean said.

 **Dudley stumbled backwards at once, a look of panic on his fat face.** " **You c-can't — Dad told you you're not to do m-magic —**

"Oh he said the M-word," Fred said laughing.

"Better not let mummy and daddy hear you," George added.

**he said he'll chuck you out of the house — and you haven't got anywhere else to go — you haven't got any friends to take you —"**

"He does too." The Weasley's sans Percy said.

**"Jiggery pokery!" said Harry in a fierce voice. "Hocus pocus — squiggly wiggly —"**

The room burst out laughing, Harry noticed even Snape's lip was twitching.

"He thought those were real spells?" Justin asked laughing.

"Yes," Harry said after he finally stopped laughing.

" **MUUUUUUM!" howled Dudley, tripping over his feet as he dashed back toward the house. "MUUUUM! He's doing you know what!"**

Fred and George snorted.

"You know what?" Hermione asked with her eyebrows raised. "Sounds like magic to them is like You-Know-Who to us."

**Harry paid dearly for his moment of fun.**

Many people narrowed their eyes.

"What did they do to you?" Remus asked eyes glaring at the book.

**As neither Dudley nor the hedge was in any way hurt, Aunt Petunia knew he hadn't really done magic, but he still had to duck as she aimed a heavy blow at his head with the soapy frying pan.**

The explosion was deafening,

Remus' eyes flashed amber as he glared at the book in Kingsley's hands.

"She did what?" Molly, Hermione and McGonagall shouted.

"That horrid woman!" Sprout said.

"Were you OK?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"I was fine," Harry said. "She missed."

Everyone gave him looks of disbelief.

Molly was beginning to tear up. "That woman shouldn't be allowed near children."

**Then she gave him work to do, with the promise he wouldn't eat again until he'd finished.**

More death glares were sent to the book.

"You aren't going back there," Molly said.

"Now Molly we'll need to discuss this later," Dumbledore said causing everyone to glare at him.

"No Albus there is no discussing this, he isn't going back and that's all there is to it."

Dumbledore sighed.

**While Dudley lolled around watching and eating ice cream, Harry cleaned the windows, washed the car, mowed the lawn, trimmed the flower beds, pruned and watered the roses, and repainted the garden bench.**

"That's way too much work for a twelve-year-old!" Pomfrey said. "Especially if you haven't eaten all day."

"I'm used to it," Harry shrugged.

"You shouldn't be used to it Harry," Hermione told him gently.

**The sun blazed overhead, burning the back of his neck. Harry knew he shouldn't have risen to Dudley's bait, but Dudley had said the very thing Harry had been thinking himself… maybe he didn't have any friends at Hogwarts…**

"How could you think that?" Hermione asked sadly.

"I was twelve Mione," Harry said with a sigh. "I know that now, but I was just a kid then."

**Wish they could see famous Harry Potter now, he thought savagely as he spread manure on the flower beds, his back aching, sweat running down his face.**

**It was half-past seven in the evening when at last, exhausted, he heard Aunt Petunia calling him.**

" **Get in here! And walk on the newspaper!"**

"He's not a dog," Ron scowled at the book.

**Harry moved gladly into the shade of the gleaming kitchen. On top of the fridge stood tonight's pudding: a huge mound of whipped cream and sugared violets.**

"I really hate that pudding," Harry muttered.

**Aloin of roast pork was sizzling in the oven.**

"Which you got none of I'm sure," Hermione snapped.

**"Eat quickly! The Masons will be here soon!" snapped Aunt Petunia, pointing to two slices of bread and a lump of cheese on the kitchen table.**

Anyone standing outside would have thought there was a pack of wild dogs in the great hall,

"You worked all day and that's all you got?" Molly asked in outrage.

"No wonder you're so thin," Pomfrey said. "You will be coming for a full workup once this is all over Mr Potter."

Harry groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Yes." All of the teachers, Molly and Hermione said.

"Perfect," Harry muttered.

**She was already wearing a salmon-pink cocktail dress.**

Most of the girls looked appalled,

**Harry washed his hands and bolted down his pitiful supper. The moment he had finished, Aunt Petunia whisked away his plate. "Upstairs! Hurry!"**

**As he passed the door to the living room, Harry caught a glimpse of Uncle Vernon and Dudley in bow ties and dinner jackets. He had only just reached the upstairs landing when the doorbell rang and Uncle Vernon's furious face appeared at the foot of the stairs.**

" **Remember, boy — one sound —"**

**Harry crossed to his bedroom on tiptoe slipped inside, closed the door, and turned to collapse on his bed. The trouble was, there was already someone sitting on it.**

"What?" Many people asked.

"Who was there?" Charlie asked.

"Probably whoever was in the hedge out front," Bill said.

"That's the end of the chapter," Kingsley said.

Dumbledore stood up. "We will take a thirty-minute break, there is something I must go do. When I return we will read the next chapter." He then got up and walked out of the great hall.

"Shall we go stretch our legs?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged, "Sure."

The trio followed most of the students out of the great hall.

"I'll be right back," Harry told Hermione when he saw the girl who had stood up to him from Draco.

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked.

"To say thank you," was all Harry said. Hermione looked confused but didn't say anything.

"Excuse me," Harry said tapping the girl on the shoulder. She turned around and he felt all the breath leaving him, she was even more beautiful up close. She had long blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

"Yes?" Daphne asked raising her eyebrows.

"Hi um...I know we don't know each other...I'm Harry Potter...I uh..." Harry said nervously, he was trying not to pass out. "I just uh...wanted to say thank you for saying something to Malfoy...Slytherins don't normally say anything against him."

"Well, I'm not most Slytherins," Daphne said simply while observing him intently. "I'm Daphne Greengrass."

"It's nice to meet you," Harry said holding out his hand.

Daphne looked amused. "Nice to meet you too." She gestured to a pretty brunette standing next to her. "This is my best friend Tracey Davis."

"Nice to meet you," Harry said quickly.

"You too Potter," Tracey said shaking his hand.

"It's just Harry," he said nervously.

"We should probably get back to our table," Daphne said. "But I do hope we talk again."

Harry gave her a small smile. "Me too." Daphne smiled back then walked with Tracey back into the great hall.

"What was that about?" Ron asked once Harry was back with him and Hermione. When Harry didn't respond Ron snapped his fingers in front of his face. "Hello, earth to Harry."

"What?" Harry asked looking around. "Oh sorry...it was nothing just saying thanks to Daphne."

"Daphne?" Ron asked.

"Yeah...uh..Daphne Greengrass and her best friend Tracey," Harry said.

"Why would you want to talk to Slytherins?" Ron asked as though talking to Slytherins was a crime.

"Not all Slytherins are like Malfoy, Ron," Harry said flatly before turning around to walk into the hall.

"Honestly Ronald," Hermione said. "Do you have no tact? Like Harry said all Slytherins aren't evil, besides the Greengrass family is neutral in the war."

"Really?" Ron asked.

"Yes Ronald," Hermione said exasperated.

The hall silenced when Dumbledore entered followed by a hyper looking house elf.

"Dobby?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Harry Potter!" Dobby squeaked before running up to Harry and hugging him. The purebloods and those who knew what house-elves were looked shocked.

"What are you doing here Dobby?" Harry asked.

"Mister Dumbledore invited Dobby here to read a book about the great Harry Potter!" Dobby said excitedly.

"Oh," was all Harry could say.

Umbridge looked furious. _'Who does Dumbledore think he is inviting that filthy creature into the great hall to read with us?'_

"Would you care to read the next chapter?" Dumbledore asked the elf.

"Oh yes! I would love to read about Harry Potter!" Dobby said as though nothing would make him happier.

Draco sneered. _'That bloody elf used to work for us! How does he know Potter?'_ He narrowed his eyes. _'Potter better not of had a hand in freeing the elf, after all father never did say how it happened.'_

Dobby grabbed the book and took a seat in between Harry and Neville at the Gryffindor table.


	2. Dobby's Warning

Dobby's high-pitched voice filled the hall as he read. **"Dobby's Warning."**

**Harry managed not to shout out, but it was a close thing. The little creature on the bed had large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls.**

"That's me!" Dobby squeaked causing many people to laugh.

**Harry knew instantly that this was what had been watching him out of the garden hedge that morning.**

"That was you?" Tonks asked.

Dobby nodded his head. "Yes, Dobby came to see the great Harry Potter."

Harry turned red as many people snickered.

 **As they stared at each other, Harry heard Dudley's voice from the hall.** " **May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"**

**The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that the end of its long, thin nose touched the carpet. Harry noticed that it was wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for arm- and leg-holes.**

"Really," Hermione huffed crossing her arms over her chest. "You think that since a house elf represents a family's name they would at least make sure they looked presentable."

"You would think so, but think of who Dobby belonged to," Harry said. "Do you really think they would give him something nice to wear?"

"True." Hermione said while Draco glared at them.

" **Er — hello," said Harry nervously.**

Fred and George snickered.

" **Harry Potter!" said the creature in a high-pitched voice Harry was sure would carry down the stairs. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, sir… Such an honor it is…"**

Snape shook his head in disbelief. _'Even house elves fawn all over him.'_

Draco narrowed his eyes. _'Why was our house elf at Potter's?'_

" **Th-thank you," said Harry, edging along the wall and sinking into his desk chair, next to Hedwig, who was asleep in her large cage. He wanted to ask, "What are you?"**

"Harry!" Hermione scolded.

Harry raised his hands in surrender. "I didn't ask him that."

**but thought it would sound too rude, so instead he said, "Who are you?"**

"That's better," Hermione said.

Harry rolled his eyes and Ron snickered.

" **Dobby, sir. Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf," said the creature.**

"How was a house elf able to get through the wards?" Bill asked.

Everyone turned to look at Dumbledore.

"That is a good question, I thought you said that the blood wards would keep everyone out?" McGonagall asked.

"Dobby had no intention of harming Harry," Dumbledore said. "Only those who wish to harm him are kept out."

" **Oh — really?" said Harry. "Er — I don't want to be rude or anything, but — this isn't a great time for me to have a house-elf in my bedroom."**

"Oh no," Ginny moaned. "He's going to get you into trouble!"

The hall groaned.

**Aunt Petunias high, false laugh sounded from the living room.**

"I feel bad for the Mason's," Marietta muttered.

**The elf hung his head.**

Hermione smacked the back of Harry's head.

"Ow!" Harry said rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"You hurt his feelings!" Hermione scolded.

"Sorry Dobby." Harry said before Hermione could yell at him further.

"It's alright Harry Potter, you could never hurt Dobby," Dobby squeaked.

" **Not that I'm not pleased to meet you," said Harry quickly, "but, er, is there any particular reason you're here?"**

" **Oh, yes, sir," said Dobby earnestly. "Dobby has come to tell you, sir… it is difficult, sir… Dobby wonders where to begin…"**

" **Sit down," said Harry politely, pointing at the bed.**

All of the pure bloods groaned.

"What's wrong with asking him to sit down?" Dennis asked looking confused.

"You never ask a house elf to sit down," Daphne said. "They find it insulting."

**To his horror, the elf burst into tears — very noisy tears.**

**"S-sit down!" he wailed. "Never… never ever…"**

"Surely not all house elves are treated so bad," Hermione said.

"Not all of them are," Roger Davies said. "But you still don't ask them to sit down."

**Harry thought he heard the voices downstairs falter.**

"Oh no!" Parvarti gasped. "You're uncle is going to be really mad if he finds a house elf in your room."

" **I'm sorry," he whispered, "I didn't mean to offend you or anything —"**

"Why is he apologizing to a house elf?" Pansy sneered.

"He's Potter, who knows why he does anything," Draco said.

" **Offend Dobby!" choked the elf. "Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard — like an equal —"**

 **Harry, trying to say "Shh!" and look comforting at the same time,** **ushered Dobby back onto the bed where he sat hiccoughing, looking like a large and very ugly doll.**

Hermione shot Harry a glare to which he just shrugged sheepishly.

**At last he managed to control himself, and sat with his great eyes fixed on Harry in an expression of watery adoration.**

"Another member for the Potter fan club," Draco muttered spitefully.

" **You can't have met many decent wizards," said Harry, trying to cheer him up.**

**Dobby shook his head. Then, without warning, he leapt up and started banging his head furiously on the window, shouting, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"**

"What's he doing?" Many of the muggleborns yelled appalled.

"He tried to speak ill of his family so he has to punish himself," Hermione spat. "It's barbaric."

"That's horrible," Colin said.

**"Don't — what are you doing?" Harry hissed, springing up and pulling Dobby back onto the bed — Hedwig had woken up with a particularly loud screech and was beating her wings wildly against the bars of her cage.**

"I'm surprised your aunt and uncle haven't heard yet," Ginny said worriedly.

" **Dobby had to punish himself, sir," said the elf, who had gone slightly cross-eyed. "Dobby almost spoke ill of his family, sir…"**

"And we know how hard that is to do," Ron snarled sarcastically.

Draco narrowed his eyes and scowled at Ron.

"Who's his family?" Neville asked.

"I'm sure you'll find out," Ron said.

" **Your family?"**

" **The wizard family Dobby serves, sir… Dobby is a house-elf — bound to serve one house and one family forever…"**

Harry and Ron smirked.

" **Do they know you're here?" asked Harry curiously.**

 **Dobby shuddered.** " **Oh, no, sir, no… Dobby will have to punish himself most grievously for coming to see you, sir. Dobby will have to shut his ears in the oven door for this. If they ever knew, sir —"**

Tracey frowned. "How'd he manage that? A house elf can't leave without permission."

"His masters could've told him to get out and he could've interpreted it as to leave the house," Terry Boot said. "You have to be specific."

Snuffles frowned as much as a dog can frown. _'Kreacher hasn't been seen lately...and I told him to get out...I'll need to check on him when I get back home.'_

" **But won't they notice if you shut your ears in the oven door?"**

"No," Draco muttered.

" **Dobby doubts it, sir. Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, sir. They lets Dobby get on with it, sir. Sometimes they reminds me to do extra punishments…"**

Many people in the hall looked horrified.

"He must've had a horrible family," Lavender said.

"He did." Harry, Hermione and Ron said.

" **But why don't you leave? Escape?"**

" **A house-elf must be set free, sir. And the family will never set Dobby free… Dobby will serve the family until he dies, sir…"**

 **Harry stared.** " **And I thought I had it bad staying here for another four weeks,"**

"You do." Many people said.

"You seem to like comparing yourself to creatures mate," Ron said looking amused. "First the snake and now a house elf."

Harry mock glared at his best friend. "Thanks Ron."

**he said. "This makes the Dursleys sound almost human. Can't anyone help you? Can't I?"**

"You shouldn't have said that," Daphne said.

**Almost at once, Harry wished he hadn't spoken. Dobby dissolved again into wails of gratitude.**

" **Please," Harry whispered frantically, "please be quiet. If the Dursleys hear anything, if they know you're here —"**

"Don't let them hear," Molly said fretfully.

" **Harry Potter asks if he can help Dobby… Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew…"**

Harry blushed as many people nodded in agreement.

"I wonder where he heard all about your greatness?" Hermione asked quietly. "I doubt Draco said you were great."

Harry frowned, "I don't know, I never asked."

**Harry, who was feeling distinctly hot in the face, said, "Whatever you've heard about my greatness is a load of rubbish.**

A lot of people looked at Harry shocked, especially the Slytherins.

 _'The more I read the more he seems the opposite of his father. James Potter would've lapped up the praise.'_ Snape thought looking at Harry thoughtfully.

**I'm not even top of my year at Hogwarts; that's Hermione, she —" But he stopped quickly, because thinking about Hermione was painful.**

"Oh Harry," Hermione sighed giving him a hug.

**"Harry Potter is humble and modest," said Dobby reverently, his orb-like eyes aglow. "Harry Potter speaks not of his triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named —"**

"Why should I boast about the fact that my mother sacrificed herself for me?" Harry said. "That's not something to brag about."

"I never thought about it that way," Hannah said.

" **Voldemort?" said Harry.**

**Dobby clapped his hands over his bat ears and moaned, "Ah, speak not the name, sir! Speak not the name!"**

" **Sorry," said Harry quickly. "I know lots of people don't like it. My friend Ron —" He stopped again. Thinking about Ron was painful, too.**

"Sorry mate," Ron said.

"It's alright," Harry said. "It isn't your fault."

**Dobby leaned toward Harry, his eyes wide as headlights.**

" **Dobby heard tell," he said hoarsely, "that Harry Potter met the Dark Lord for a second time just weeks ago… that Harry Potter escaped yet again."**

**Harry nodded and Dobby's eyes suddenly shone with tears.**

Draco sneered in disgust.

" **Ah, sir," he gasped, dabbing his face with a corner of the grubby pillowcase he was wearing. "Harry Potter is valiant and bold! He has braved so many dangers already!**

Fred and George snickered at the embarrassed look on Harry's face.

**But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later… Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."**

"What?" Many people asked.

"Why can't you go back to Hogwarts?" Justin asked.

"What about quidditch?" Oliver asked looking scandalized. "If you didn't come we wouldn't have a seeker!" His old quidditch team turned to look at him incredulously.

"Oliver," Harry said in amusement. "This was years ago, you do know that I went to school right?"

Oliver looked embarrassed. "Oh yeah...right."

**There was a silence broken only by the chink of knives and forks from downstairs and the distant rumble of Uncle Vernon's voice.**

" **W-what?" Harry stammered. "But I've got to go back — term starts on September first. It's all that's keeping me going. You don't know what it's like here. I don't belong here. I belong in your world — at Hogwarts."**

" **No, no, no," squeaked Dobby, shaking his head so hard his ears flapped. "Harry Potter must stay where he is safe. He is too great, too good, to lose. If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger."**

"That's not really anything new though," Ron said causing the adults to scowl.

"That didn't help Ron," Hermione sighed.

"My bad," Ron said turning red.

" **Why?" said Harry in surprise.**

" **There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," whispered Dobby, suddenly trembling all over. "Dobby has known it for months, sir.**

"Is he talking about the chamber?" Sue Li asked.

"How would he know about that?" Mandy Brocklehurst asked looking confused.

**Harry Potter must not put himself in peril. He is too important, sir!"**

_'Harry doesn't know just how important to the wizarding world he really is.'_ Dumbledore sighed. _'I have no doubt by the end of these books he will know though, and so will the rest of the school.'_

" **What terrible things?" said Harry at once. "Who's plotting them?"**

**Dobby made a funny choking noise and then banged his head frantically against the wall.**

Hermione sent a sharp look at the book.

" **All right!" cried Harry, grabbing the elf's arm to stop him. "You can't tell me. I understand. But why are you warning me?" A sudden, unpleasant thought struck him. "Hang on — this hasn't got anything to do with Vol — sorry — with You-Know-Who, has it?**

"I don't know why I even bothered asking," Harry said quietly shaking his head. "It's always about Voldemort."

**You could just shake or nod," he added hastily as Dobby's head tilted worryingly close to the wall again.**

**Slowly, Dobby shook his head.** " **Not — not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, sir —"**

"Yes he was," Ron muttered looking confused.

"He was trying to give me a hint," Harry told him.

**But Dobby's eyes were wide and he seemed to be trying to give Harry a hint. Harry, however, was completely lost.**

"Idiot," Draco sneered.

"Like you would've got it either Malfoy," Harry snapped.

" **He hasn't got a brother, has he?"**

Many people shuddered.

"He doesn't does he?" A scared Hufflepuff first year asked.

"No, I can assure you that Voldemort is an only child," Dumbledore said calmly.

**Dobby shook his head, his eyes wider than ever.**

**"Well then, I can't think who else would have a chance of making horrible things happen at Hogwarts," said Harry. "I mean, there's Dumbledore, for one thing — you know who Dumbledore is, don't you?"**

"Everyone knows who Dumbledore is," Michael said.

 **Dobby bowed his head.** " **Albus Dumbledore is the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. Dobby knows it, sir. Dobby has heard Dumbledore's powers rival those of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the height of his strength.** **But, sir" — Dobby's voice dropped to an urgent whisper — "there are powers Dumbledore doesn't… powers no decent wizard…"**

"Dark magic," Hermione said quietly.

**And before Harry could stop him, Dobby bounded off the bed, seized Harry's desk lamp, and started beating himself around the head with ear-splitting yelps.**

**A sudden silence fell downstairs. Two seconds later Harry, heart thudding madly, heard Uncle Vernon coming into the hall, calling, "Dudley must have left his television on again, the little tyke!"**

"No!" Many people said worriedly.

"You're going to be in so much trouble!" Parvarti exclaimed.

" **Quick! In the closet!" hissed Harry, stuffing Dobby in, shutting the door, and flinging himself onto the bed just as the door handle turned.**

" **What — the —devil — are — you — doing?" said Uncle Vernon through gritted teeth, his face horribly close to Harry's.**

"Get away from him!" Ron and Hermione snapped.

**"You've just ruined the punch line of my Japanese golfer joke…**

"Merlin forbid," Jimmy Peakes muttered.

**One more sound and you'll wish you'd never been born, boy!"**

"If he touches you so help me..." Remus said trailing off.

**He stomped flat-footed from the room.**

**Shaking, Harry let Dobby out of the closet.** " **See what it's like here?" he said. "See why I've got to go back to Hogwarts? It's the only place I've got — well, I think I've got friends."**

"You do!" Hermione and Ron said fiercely.

" **Friends who don't even write to Harry Potter?" said Dobby slyly.**

"How does he know that?" Remus asked narrowing his eyes.

" **I expect they've just been — wait a minute," said Harry, frowning. "How do you know my friends haven't been writing to me?"**

**Dobby shuffled his feet.**

"Dobby was stopping your mail wasn't he?" Neville asked.

Harry nodded his head and everyone turned to glare at the elf.

" **Harry Potter mustn't be angry with Dobby. Dobby did it for the best —"**

" **Have you been stopping my letters?"**

**"Dobby has them here, sir," said the elf. Stepping nimbly out of Harry's reach, he pulled a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing. Harry could make out Hermione's neat writing, Ron's untidy scrawl, and even a scribble that looked as though it was from the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Hagrid.**

"They did write to you!" A little second year Gryffindor exclaimed.

"Of course we did," Ron said.

 **Dobby blinked anxiously up at Harry.** " **Harry Potter mustn't be angry… Dobby hoped… if Harry Potter thought his friends had forgotten him… Harry Potter might not want to go back to school, sir…"**

"That wouldn't have stopped me from coming here," Harry said.

 **Harry wasn't listening. He made a grab for the letters, but Dobby jumped out of reach.** " **Harry Potter will have them, sir, if he gives Dobby his word that he will not return to Hogwarts. Ah, sir, this is a danger you must not face! Say you won't go back, sir!"**

"Don't!" Many pure bloods said.

"Why?" Justin asked. "He could've just said he wouldn't go back, then get the letters and come anyway."

Remus shook his head. "House elves have powerful magic, if Harry would've said he wouldn't come then he wouldn't have been able to."

"Good thing I didn't," Harry muttered.

" **No," said Harry angrily. "Give me my friends' letters!"**

" **Then Harry Potter leaves Dobby no choice," said the elf sadly.**

**Before Harry could move, Dobby had darted to the bedroom door, pulled it open, and sprinted down the stairs.**

"No!" The room gasped.

"He's going to get you in trouble!" Hannah gasped.

**Mouth dry, stomach lurching, Harry sprang after him, trying not to make a sound. He jumped the last six steps, landing catlike on the hall carpet, looking around for Dobby. From the dining room he heard Uncle Vernon saying, "… tell Petunia that very funny story about those American plumbers, Mr. Mason. She's been dying to hear…"**

Fred and George snorted. "Sure she has."

**Harry ran up the hall into the kitchen and felt his stomach disappear.**

**Aunt Petunia's masterpiece of a pudding, the mountain of cream and sugared violets, was floating up near the ceiling. On top of a cupboard in the corner crouched Dobby.**

" **No," croaked Harry. "Please… they'll kill me…"**

"They better not do anything to you," Hermione said.

" **Harry Potter must say he's not going back to school —"**

" **Dobby… please…"**

" **Say it, sir —"**

" **I can't —"**

 **Dobby gave him a tragic look.** " **Then Dobby must do it, sir, for Harry Potter's own good."**

"I'm really tired of people doing stuff for my own good," Harry muttered. "It never turns out well."

**The pudding fell to the floor with a heart-stopping crash. Cream splattered the windows and walls as the dish shattered. With a crack like a whip, Dobby vanished.**

Harry looked smugly at Fudge. "I told you it was a house elf."

"Will that be taken off his record now that you know he was telling the truth about it being a house elf?" Hermione asked.

Umbridge looked furious he was getting off and Fudge spluttered.

"Of course Mr. Potter," Amelia said sending a sharp look at the minister. "I will have it taken care of after the reading."

**There were screams from the dining room and Uncle Vernon burst into the kitchen to find Harry, rigid with shock, covered from head to foot in Aunt Petunia's pudding.**

"You should've ran," Fred said.

"Or at least hid," George added.

"It wouldn't have worked," Harry said.

**At first, it looked as though Uncle Vernon would manage to gloss the whole thing over. ("Just our nephew —very disturbed — meeting strangers upsets him, so we kept him upstairs…") He shooed the shocked Masons back into the dining room, promised Harry he would flay him to within an inch of his life when the Masons had left,**

Everyone turned to look at Harry, Hermione and Molly looked close to tears.

"He better not of done anything to you," Remus ground out.

"Did he hurt you?" Hermione asked quietly.

Harry sighed. "You'll see."

No one looked happy with that answer but decided to let it go until they read what had happened.

**and handed him a mop. Aunt Petunia dug some ice cream out of the freezer and Harry, still shaking, started scrubbing the kitchen clean.**

**Uncle Vernon might still have been able to make his deal — if it hadn't been for the owl.**

**Aunt Petunia was just passing around a box of after-dinner mints when a huge barn owl swooped through the dining room window, dropped a letter on Mrs. Mason's head, and swooped out again. Mrs. Mason screamed like a banshee and ran from the house shouting about lunatics. Mr. Mason stayed just long enough to tell the Dursleys that his wife was mortally afraid of birds of all shapes and sizes, and to ask whether this was their idea of a joke.**

"Look on the bright side," Fred said.

"Your uncle didn't get his deal," George said.

Harry gave them a small smile causing the twins to grin, they knew what had happened and they also knew Harry didn't want any pity, joking was the best thing they knew they could do for him.

**Harry stood in the kitchen, clutching the mop for support, as Uncle Vernon advanced on him, a demonic glint in his tiny eyes.**

Everyone was glaring at the book, even those who didn't yet believe Harry.

Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed tightly.

" **Read it!" he hissed evilly, brandishing the letter the owl had delivered. "Go on — read it!" Harry took it. It did not contain birthday greetings.**

**Dear Mr. Potter,**

**We have received intelligence that a Hover Charm was used at your place of residence this evening at twelve minutes past nine.**

"Wouldn't it of shown up that a house elf performed the magic?" Megan Jones asked.

"No," Amelia said. "It would just show magic was performed at Mr. Potter's place of residence, and as he's the only wizard living there it would show to be performed by him."

"They should really learn to tell the difference so something like this doesn't happen to someone else," Hermione said.

"I agree," Amelia said before writing something down.

**As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spell work on your part may lead to expulsion from said school. (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C).**

**We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy.**

**Enjoy your holidays!**

Ron snorted. "Right, like he'll enjoy his holidays after that.

**Yours sincerely,**

**Mafalda Hopkirk**

**IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE**

**Ministry of Magic**

**Harry looked up from the letter and gulped.**

" **You didn't tell us you weren't allowed to use magic outside school," said Uncle Vernon, a mad gleam dancing in his eyes. "Forgot to mention it… Slipped your mind, I dare say…"**

"There went my only leverage," Harry said with a sigh.

**He was bearing down on Harry like a great bulldog, all his teeth bared. "Well, I've got news for you, boy… I'm locking you up… You're never going back to that school… never… and if you try and magic yourself out — they'll expel you!"**

"No one should have to decide between their health and well being and expulsion," Kingsley said.

"If Mr. Potter hadn't shown up, I would've went to his home as to inquire the reason," McGonagall said.

Harry sent his head of house a smile, which she returned.

**And laughing like a maniac, he dragged Harry back upstairs.**

"Don't touch him!" The Weasley's, Hermione, Neville and his old quidditch team yelled.

Snuffles was growling at the book.

**Uncle Vernon was as bad as his word. The following morning, he paid a man to fit bars on Harry's window. He himself fitted a cat-flap in the bedroom door, so that small amounts of food could be pushed inside three times a day. They let Harry out to use the bathroom morning and evening. Otherwise, he was locked in his room around the clock.**

Everyone stared at the book in shock before slowly turning to face the embarrassed looking Harry.

"I'll kill them!" Remus growled.

"I'll help," Tonks spat.

"Those horrible people!" Susan said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione asked with tears streaming down her face.

Harry pulled her into a hug. "I didn't want you to worry too much about me."

"I'm your best friend you should've told me," Hermione whispered. "I could've helped you, you don't always have to do everything alone."

"I'm sorry." Harry said knowing Hermione most likely would've helped him to feel better about himself if he would just talk to her. Reading the first book showed Harry he isn't alone anymore and he doesn't have to hide everything from people who are just trying to help, although if people keep sending him pitying looks someone will be getting hexed.

"I don't care what you say Albus," McGonagall said in a deathly whisper. "He is not going back there, he will stay with me if he has to." Dumbledore just nodded and looked down.

 _'How can someone who seems so nice be related to those horrid muggles?'_ Daphne wondered to herself.

 _'Not even Potter deserves that.'_ Snape thought observing Harry and his friends.

"You got him into trouble!" A first-year Ravenclaw yelled at Dobby who now looked miserable.

"Dobby is sorry, Dobby just didn't want Harry Potter to be hurt at Hogwarts," Dobby said sadly.

"He's getting hurt with his relatives, in case you haven't noticed," Cormac McLaggen sneered.

"Leave him alone!" Harry yelled. "Dobby was just trying to help, even if I wouldn't have ruined their night my uncle would've found some way to lock me in my room."

"Harry Potter is too kind to Dobby," Dobby said crying.

"It's alright Dobby," Harry said patting his back. "Just continue to read now OK?"

Dobby nodded his head and continued to read.

**Three days later, the Dursleys were showing no sign of relenting, and Harry couldn't see any way out of his situation.**

Harry wondered briefly if the Dursleys could actually hear the shrieks coming from many people in the hall

"Three days?" Molly whispered crying into her husband's chest. "No wonder he's so thin."

**He lay on his bed watching the sun sinking behind the bars on the window and wondered miserably what was going to happen to him.**

"You're going to be rescued of course," Fred said puffing out his chest.

"Of course he said," George said pompously.

"What did you two do?" Angelina asked.

"You'll see." The twins said.

**What was the good of magicking himself out of his room if Hogwarts would expel him for doing it? Yet life at Privet Drive had reached an all-time low. Now that the Dursleys knew they weren't going to wake up as fruit bats, he had lost his only weapon. Dobby might have saved Harry from horrible happenings at Hogwarts, but the way things were going, he'd probably starve to death anyway.**

More glares were sent towards the book.

**The cat-flap rattled and Aunt Petunia's hand appeared, pushing a bowl of canned soup into the room.**

"That isn't a meal!" Ron exclaimed.

"A growing boy needs much more than that," Pomfrey said.

**Harry, whose insides were aching with hunger, jumped off his bed and seized it. The soup was stone-cold, but he drank half of it in one gulp. Then he crossed the room to Hedwig's cage and tipped the soggy vegetables at the bottom of the bowl into her empty food tray.**

"You gave half of it to Hedwig?" Ginny asked.

"Of course," Harry said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I won't let her starve."

The adults and a majority of the girls all sent Harry smiles.

"It's good to see that he turned out so well even after years of living with those horrible people," Sprout said to McGonagall.

"Yes," McGonagall said. "He's so much like his mother."

Snape heard their quiet conversation and turned to Harry, as much as he doesn't want to admit it, Harry does have a lot of Lily in him.

**She ruffled her feathers and gave him a look of deep disgust.**

Harry smiled fondly at his bird's personality.

" **It's no good turning your beak up at it — that's all we've got," said Harry grimly.**

**He put the empty bowl back on the floor next to the cat-flap and lay back down on the bed, somehow even hungrier than he had been before the soup.**

**Supposing he was still alive in another four weeks, what would happen if he didn't turn up at Hogwarts? Would someone be sent to see why he hadn't come back? Would they be able to make the Dursleys let him go?**

"Yes." All of the teachers besides Umbridge said, Harry was surprised to hear Snape said yes.

"I can assure you Mr Potter we would've sent someone," McGonagall said. "And if we would've seen your living arrangements, believe me when I tell you we would've done something."

**The room was growing dark. Exhausted, stomach rumbling, mind spinning over the same unanswerable questions, Harry fell into an uneasy sleep.**

"Do you ever sleep well?" Dean asked, remembering all the times he's heard Harry wake up in the middle of the night.

Harry shook his head.

**He dreamed that he was on show in a zoo, with a card reading UNDERAGE WIZARD attached to his cage.**

"You really do have weird dreams mate," Ron said laughing.

**People goggled through the bars at him as he lay, starving and weak, on a bed of straw. He saw Dobby's face in the crowd and shouted out, asking for help, but Dobby called, "Harry Potter is safe there, sir!" and vanished. Then the Dursleys appeared and Dudley rattled the bars of the cage, laughing at him.**

"Your dreams are very representative of what happens to you," Luna said dreamily. "You had one like this one in your first year."

Everyone was now staring at Luna.

"Well said Miss Lovegood," Dumbledore said with his eyes twinkling.

" **Stop it," Harry muttered as the rattling pounded in his sore head. "Leave me alone… cut it out… I'm trying to sleep…"**

**He opened his eyes. Moonlight was shining through the bars on the window. And someone was goggling through the bars at him: a freckle-faced, red-haired, long-nosed someone.**

**Ron Weasley was outside Harry's window.**

"What?" Many people asked.

"Isn't your room on the second floor?" Neville asked and Harry nodded. "Then how he is there?" He asked looking confused.

"You'll see," Harry said smiling.

"Dobby finished the chapter," Dobby said. "Who will read next?"

"I will." Molly said, hoping that reading will keep her from yelling or crying.


	3. The Burrow

Molly looked at the title and smiled before beginning to read. **"The Burrow."**

The Weasley children minus Percy cheered, while Harry and Hermione smiled.

 **"Ron." breathed Harry, creeping to the window and pushing it up so they could talk through the bars. "Ron, how did you —? What the** —?"

"How is Ron there if you're on the second floor?" Neville asked.

"You'll see." Ron and Harry both said with grins.

"That's what you guys always say," Neville muttered.

**Harry's mouth fell open as the full impact of what he was seeing hit him. Ron was leaning out of the back window of an old turquoise car, which was parked in midair.**

Most of the people in the hall turned to the two boys with open mouths.

Molly turned to give Arthur a stern look, the only reason she isn't yelling is because they already talked about this, and Arthur was looking down sheepishly.

"You flew a car to Harry's house?" Dean asked in awe.

"Wicked!" Dennis said, all of the teachers sent him reprimanding looks but he was still grinning.

Umbridge smirked, "That is illegal."

"We already talked about this Madam Umbridge," Dumbledore said in a tone that gave no room for argument. "No one can be punished for any wrongdoing that we read in these books."

Umbridge looked furious and wrote something quickly down.

**Grinning at Harry from the front seats were Fred and George, Ron's elder twin brothers.**

McGonagall pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why am I not surprised that they are there as well."

Fred and George grinned.

"We couldn't let Ronnikins go alone," George said.

"And Harry's our little brother too," Fred said.

"Yeah, we couldn't just leave him when we knew something was wrong," George added.

"How did you know something was wrong?" Tonks asked.

"He wasn't responding to anyone's' letters." Fred and George said in unison.

" **All right, Harry?" asked George.**

" **What's been going on?" said Ron. "Why haven't you been answering my letters? I've asked you to stay about twelve times, and then Dad came home and said you'd got an official warning for using magic in front of Muggles —"**

"What? Did they announce it to the whole ministry?" Lisa asked incredulously.

**"It wasn't me — and how did he know?"**

" **He works for the Ministry," said Ron. "You know we're not supposed to do spells outside school —"**

" **You should talk," said Harry, staring at the floating car.**

" **Oh, this doesn't count," said Ron. "We're only borrowing this. It's Dad's, we didn't enchant it.**

Molly shot Arthur another look but said nothing causing the twins to snicker.

**But doing magic in front of those Muggles you live with —"**

"Didn't he just tell you that it wasn't him?" Hermione asked with raised eye brows.

Ron turned red from the snickering and shrugged.

**"I told you, I didn't — but it'll take too long to explain now — look, can you tell them at Hogwarts that the Dursleys have locked me up and won't let me come back, and obviously I can't magic myself out, because the Ministry'll think that's the second spell I've done in three days, so —"**

"They wouldn't leave you there, especially not once they saw the bars," Bill said.

"We wouldn't have flown all the way over there to not take you with us," Ron told him.

Harry shrugged. "I didn't know you'd be able to get me out without using magic.

Fred and George gasped as if insulted.

"I can't believe you think so little of us!" Fred gasped while fake crying.

"I've never been so insulted in my life!" George cried.

Harry rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless.

" **Stop gibbering," said Ron. "We've come to take you home with us."**

" **But you can't magic me out either —"**

" **We don't need to," said Ron, jerking his head toward the front seat and grinning. "You forget who I've got with me."**

"What's with everyone doubting our genius?" Fred complained.

"How modest," Hermione said dryly.

" **Tie that around the bars," said Fred, throwing the end of a rope to Harry.**

" **If the Dursleys wake up, I'm dead," said Harry as he tied the rope tightly around a bar and Fred revved up the car.**

"How could the Dursleys not wake up with the amount of noise you're making?" Justin asked.

"Luck." Harry and Ron both said.

"Harry has really good luck," Ron said. "Of course he also has really bad luck."

Harry snorted. "Thanks Ron."

" **Don't worry," said Fred, "and stand back."**

**Harry moved back into the shadows next to Hedwig, who seemed to have realized how important this was and kept still and silent.**

"Of course she did," Ginny said. "Hedwig is really smart."

**The car revved louder and louder and suddenly, with a crunching noise, the bars were pulled clean out of the window as Fred drove straight up in the air.**

"That would've made a lot of noise," Alicia said worriedly.

**Harry ran back to the window to see the bars dangling a few feet above the ground. Panting, Ron hoisted them up into the car. Harry listened anxiously, but there was no sound from the Dursleys' bedroom.**

"You're kidding!" Terry said. "Not that I want you to get in trouble or anything, but how could they not hear that?"

"I don't know actually," Harry said. "They usually wake up when I make barely any noise."

**When the bars were safely in the back seat with Ron, Fred reversed as close as possible to Harry's window.**

" **Get in," Ron said.**

" **But all my Hogwarts stuff — my wand — my broomstick —"**

"And your books," Hermione said.

"I'd care more about the wand and broomstick," Ron muttered.

"Of course you would," Hermione muttered.

" **Where is it?"**

" **Locked in the cupboard under the stairs, and I can't get out of this room —"**

" **No problem," said George from the front passenger seat. "Out of the way, Harry."**

"And just how do you think you're going to help?" Molly demanded looking up from the book.

"Secret," Fred said.

"You do realize the book is going to tell her," Charlie pointed out.

Fred groaned.

**Fred and George climbed catlike through the window into Harry's room. You had to hand it to them, thought Harry, as George took an ordinary hairpin from his pocket and started to pick the lock.**

"Where did you two learn that?" Molly questioned.

Fred and George pointed at Charlie, who pointed at Bill, who pointed at Arthur, who began to open and close his mouth like a fish causing many people to snicker.

"We'll be talking about this later," Molly said.

" **A lot of wizards think it's a waste of time, knowing this sort of Muggle trick," said Fred, "but we feel they're skills worth learning, even if they are a bit slow."**

Snuffles nodded his head, those who noticed looked at the unknown animagus oddly.

"Sometimes I think that dog is human," Susan said.

Hannah looked at Snuffles. "It can't be, it's probably just your imagination."

**There was a small click and the door swung open.**

" **So — we'll get your trunk — you grab anything you need from your room and hand it out to Ron," whispered George.**

" **Watch out for the bottom stair — it creaks," Harry whispered back as the twins disappeared onto the dark landing.**

**Harry dashed around his room, collecting his things and passing them out of the window to Ron. Then he went to help Fred and George heave his trunk up the stairs. Harry heard Uncle Vernon cough.**

"Hurry!" Angelina said.

**At last, panting, they reached the landing, then carried the trunk through Harry's room to the open window. Fred climbed back into the car to pull with Ron, and Harry and George pushed from the bedroom side. Inch by inch, the trunk slid through the window.**

**Uncle Vernon coughed again.**

"Oh no," Katie groaned. "He's going to wake up.

" **A bit more," panted Fred, who was pulling from inside the car. "One good push"**

**Harry and George threw their shoulders against the trunk and it slid out of the window into the back seat of the car.**

" **Okay, let's go," George whispered.**

**But as Harry climbed onto the windowsill there came a sudden loud screech from behind him, followed immediately by the thunder of Uncle Vernon's voice.**

"I swear he's trained himself to wake up to the sound of Hedwig," Harry muttered.

"You forgot Hedwig?" Hermione yelled.

Harry winced at her screaming in his ear. "It was on accident, we were trying to hurry and not get caught. I would never purposefully forget her."

" **THAT RUDDY OWL!"**

" **I've forgotten Hedwig!"**

**Harry tore back across the room as the landing light clicked on — he snatched up Hedwig's cage, dashed to the window, and passed it out to Ron. He was scrambling back onto the chest of drawers when Uncle Vernon hammered on the unlocked door — and it crashed open.**

**For a split second, Uncle Vernon stood framed in the doorway; then he let out a bellow like an angry bull and dived at Harry, grabbing him by the ankle.**

"Let go of him!" All of Harry's friends yelled while Snuffles growled.

"He better let go of you," Remus said in a threatening whisper.

Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and many people were shooting the book glares.

**Ron, Fred, and George seized Harry's arms and pulled as hard as they could.**

"Sorry if we were a bit rough Harry," George grimaced.

"He looked demented," Fred said. "We just wanted to get out of there."

"It's alright guys," Harry assured them. "You didn't really have a choice.

" **Petunia!" roared Uncle Vernon. "He's getting away! HE'S GETTING AWAY!"**

"You think he'd be happy of the fact that he's leaving," Sue Li said.

"He likes it when I'm miserable," Harry said quietly.

**But the Weasleys gave a gigantic tug and Harry's leg slid out of Uncle Vernon's grasp — Harry was in the car — he'd slammed the door shut.**

"Thank Merlin." Many people sighed in relief.

" **Put your foot down, Fred!" yelled Ron, and the car shot suddenly toward the moon.**

**Harry couldn't believe it — he was free. He rolled down the window, the night air whipping his hair, and looked back at the shrinking rooftops of Privet Drive. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley were all hanging, dumbstruck, out of Harry's window.**

Fred and George snickered, looking back on it, it was hilarious seeing their faces.

" **See you next summer!" Harry yelled.**

Remus groaned. "I don't know whether to laugh or scold you for antagonizing them."

Snape shook his head. "Foolish child, you don't antagonize people who you'll eventually have to deal with again."

Harry shrugged. "I was just so happy to be getting away, I didn't really care."

**The Weasleys roared with laughter and Harry settled back in his seat, grinning from ear to ear.**

"As much as I don't approve of what you boys did, I am glad you got Harry out of there." Molly said, after hearing what Harry went through she was glad her boys saved him, but she still doesn't agree with how they did it.

The twins and Ron looked shocked, Bill and Charlie did as well.

" **Let Hedwig out," he told Ron. "She can fly behind us. She hasn't had a chance to stretch her wings for ages."**

Charlie nodded. "She needs to be let out."

**George handed the hairpin to Ron and, a moment later, Hedwig soared joyfully out of the window to glide alongside them like a ghost.**

"You can pick locks too?" Molly asked exasperated.

Ron shrugged sheepishly. "The twins taught me."

"Thanks." The twins said sarcastically.

" **So — what's the story, Harry?" said Ron impatiently. "What's been happening?"**

**Harry told them all about Dobby, the warning he'd given Harry and the fiasco of the violet pudding. There was a long, shocked silence when he had finished.**

"Well you have to admit, it was strange," Ron pointed out.

"True," Harry said.

**"Very fishy," said Fred finally.**

" **Definitely dodgy" agreed George. "So he wouldn't even tell you who's supposed to be plotting all this stuff?"**

" **I don't think he could," said Harry. "I told you, every time he got close to letting something slip, he started banging his head against the wall."**

**He saw Fred and George look at each other.**

" **What, you think he was lying to me?" said Harry.**

" **Well," said Fred, "put it this way — house-elves have got powerful magic of their own, but they can't usually use it without their master's permission. I reckon old Dobby was sent to stop you coming back to Hogwarts. Someone's idea of a joke. Can you think of anyone at school with a grudge against you?"**

**"Yes," said Harry and Ron together, instantly.**

" **Draco Malfoy," Harry explained. "He hates me."**

Draco sneered. "I wouldn't send my elf to you Potter, I do have better things to do after all."

Ron snorted. "Right."

Draco glared at Ron and Harry snickered at the look on Draco's face.

**"Draco Malfoy?" said George, turning around. "Not Lucius Malfoy's son?"**

"There's only one family with that last name in the wizarding world," Pansy sneered.

Harry rolled his eyes.

" **Must be, it's not a very common name, is it?" said Harry.**

" **I've heard Dad talking about him," said George. "He was a big supporter of You-Know-Who."**

Draco glared at George, or at least the twin he thought was George.

" **And when You-Know-Who disappeared," said Fred, craning around to look at Harry, "Lucius Malfoy came back saying he'd never meant any of it. Load of dung — Dad reckons he was right in You- Know-Who's inner circle."**

"Of course he was, the slimy traitor," Moody grumbled.

Fudge and Umbridge glared at Moody.

"How dare you!" Umbridge shrieked. "Lucius Malfoy is an upstanding citizen."

"Right," Moody snorted. "And I'm a fairy."

Most of the hall burst into laughter at either what Moody said or the look on Umbridge's face.

**Harry had heard these rumors about Malfoy's family before, and they didn't surprise him at all. Malfoy made Dudley Dursley look like a kind, thoughtful, and sensitive boy…**

"What?" Draco snapped. "Don't compare me to that filthy muggle."

" **I don't know whether the Malfoys own a house-elf…" said Harry.**

" **Well, whoever owns him will be an old wizarding family, and they'll be rich," said Fred.**

" **Yeah, Mum's always wishing we had a house-elf to do the ironing," said George. "But all we've got is a lousy old ghoul in the attic and gnomes all over the garden. House-elves come with big old manors and castles and places like that; you wouldn't catch one in our house…"**

Draco sneered. _'Of course you wouldn't.'_

**Harry was silent. Judging by the fact that Draco Malfoy usually had the best of everything, his family was rolling in wizard gold; he could just see Malfoy strutting around a large manor house.**

Draco smirked, taking that as a compliment.

Harry saw and rolled his eyes. "I didn't mean it as a compliment Malfoy."

Draco's smirk turned into a sneer and the Gryffindor's' all snickered.

**Sending the family servant to stop Harry from going back to Hogwarts also sounded exactly like the sort of thing Malfoy would do. Had Harry been stupid to take Dobby seriously?**

"No!" Moody growled loudly causing many to jump. "Always take a threat seriously."

"I'll keep that in mind," Harry said.

"Why didn't you boys tell us about Dobby?" Arthur asked.

"We didn't take it seriously," Fred said.

Arthur sighed. "Do me a favor, next time tell us please."

"OK dad," Fred said.

"We will," George added.

" **I'm glad we came to get you, anyway," said Ron. "I was getting really worried when you didn't answer any of my letters. I thought it was Errol's fault at first —"**

" **Who's Errol?"**

" **Our owl. He's ancient. It wouldn't be the first time he'd collapsed on a delivery. So then I tried to borrow Hermes —"**

" **Who?"**

**"The owl Mum and Dad bought Percy when he was made prefect," said Fred from the front.**

"Waste of money that was," Ron muttered.

" **But Percy wouldn't lend him to me," said Ron. "Said he needed him."**

The Weasley children rolled their eyes.

" **Percy's been acting very oddly this summer," said George, frowning. "And he has been sending a lot of letters and spending a load of time shut up in his room… I mean, there's only so many times you can polish a prefect badge…**

"Percy had a girlfriend," Fred cooed.

George and Fred snickered when Percy's face turned red.

**You're driving too far west, Fred," he added, pointing at a compass on the dashboard. Fred twiddled the steering wheel.**

**"So, does your dad know you've got the car?" said Harry, guessing the answer.**

Everyone turned to stare at Harry incredulously.

"You actually thought mum and dad would give them permission to fly the car by themselves?" Charlie asked in amusement.

Harry turned red, "No, but I just thought I should ask.

" **Er, no," said Ron, "he had to work tonight. Hopefully we'll be able to get it back in the shed without Mum noticing we flew it."**

Bill and Charlie burst out laughing.

"Poor naive little brothers," Bill said in between his laughter.

"How could you even think you would get away with it?" Charlie asked turning red.

Fred and George shook their heads.

"We weren't thinking," George said.

"You got that right," Molly said sternly.

**"What does your dad do at the Ministry of Magic, anyway?"**

" **He works in the most boring department," said Ron. "The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."**

"Sorry Dad," Ron winced.

"It's alright son, it's my interest not yours," Arthur told him.

" **The what?"**

" **It's all to do with bewitching things that are Muggle-made, you know, in case they end up back in a Muggle shop or house. Like, last year, some old witch died and her tea set was sold to an antiques shop. This Muggle woman bought it, took it home, and tried to serve her friends tea in it. It was a nightmare — Dad was working overtime for weeks."**

" **What happened?"**

" **The teapot went berserk and squirted boiling tea all over the place and one man ended up in the hospital with the sugar tongs clamped to his nose.**

Several people winced.

**Dad was going frantic — it's only him and an old warlock called Perkins in the office — and they had to do Memory Charms and all sorts of stuff to cover it up —"**

"A lot of work for one little incident," Kingsley said. "You're department really is under appreciated."

"Thank you Kingsley," Arthur said smiling.

" **But your dad — this car —"**

**Fred laughed. "Yeah, Dad's crazy about everything to do with Muggles; our shed's full of Muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on it, and puts it back together again. If he raided our house he'd have to put himself under arrest.**

"That would be funny," Fred said.

"Mr. Weasley you're under arrest," George said in a deep voice.

"You'll never take me alive!" Fred yelled pretending to arrest himself causing everyone to laugh.

**It drives Mum mad."**

" **That's the main road," said George, peering down through the windshield. "We'll be there in ten minutes… Just as well, it's getting light…"**

**A faint pinkish glow was visible along the horizon to the east.**

**Fred brought the car lower, and Harry saw a dark patchwork of fields and clumps of trees.**

" **We're a little way outside the village," said George. "Ottery St. Catchpole."**

**Lower and lower went the flying car. The edge of a brilliant red sun was now gleaming through the trees.**

"Foolish," Moody barked. "You boys could've been seen."

Harry and Ron winced. "We weren't that time at least," Ron muttered.

" **Touchdown!" said Fred as, with a slight bump, they hit the ground. They had landed next to a tumbledown garage in a small yard, and Harry looked out for the first time at Ron's house.**

**It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen,**

Pansy wrinkled her nose in disgust.

**but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic (which Harry reminded himself, it probably was).**

"Magic does help," Arthur said chuckling.

**Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, THE BURROW. Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard.**

Hermione and Harry smiled thinking of the Burrow.

**"It's not much," said Ron.**

" **It's wonderful," said Harry happily, thinking of Privet Drive.**

**They got out of the car.**

" **Now, we'll go upstairs really quietly," said Fred, "and wait for Mum to call us for breakfast Then, Ron, you come bounding downstairs going, 'Mum, look who turned up in the night!' and she'll be all pleased to see Harry and no one need ever know we flew the car."**

"Even if I hadn't known about the car that is one of the filmiest excuses I've ever heard," Molly shook her head in exasperation.

"That was a horrible excuse," Fred muttered.

"We're losing our touch," George muttered back.

"Everyone has off days," Fred said.

"Not us," George reminded him.

"You're right," Fred said. "We'll need to think of a better excuse next time."

" **Right," said Ron. "Come on, Harry, I sleep at the — at the top —"**

**Ron had gone a nasty greenish color, his eyes fixed on the house. The other three wheeled around.**

"Enter mum," Bill said.

**Mrs. Weasley was marching across the yard, scattering chickens, and for a short, plump, kind-faced woman, it was remarkable how much she looked like a saber-toothed tiger.**

The Weasley boys sans Percy burst into laughter.

"That's an accurate description," Charlie said in between chuckles.

Molly cleared her throat instantly sobering her sons who all gave her innocent smiles.

"Like she'll buy that," Ginny muttered.

" **Ah, "said Fred.**

" **Oh, dear," said George.**

"That's all you have to say?" Lee asked.

Fred and George shrugged.

"We were caught red handed," George said.

"There wasn't much to say at that point," Fred added.

**Mrs. Weasley came to a halt in front of them, her hands on her hips, staring from one guilty face to the next. She was wearing a flowered apron with a wand sticking out of the pocket.**

" **So," she said.**

" **Morning, Mum," said George, in what he clearly thought was a jaunty, winning voice.**

"Did it sound jaunty and winning?" Tonks asked cheekily.

"No," Molly told her. "More like high pitched and terrified.

" **Have you any idea how worried I've been?" said Mrs. Weasley in a deadly whisper.**

" **Sorry, Mum, but see, we had to —"**

"Never try to make excuses," Bill moaned.

**All three of Mrs. Weasley's sons were taller than she was, but they cowered as her rage broke over them.**

"I don't blame you," Charlie mumbled.

" **Beds empty! No note! Car gone — could have crashed — out of my mind with worry — did you care? — never, as long as I've lived — you wait until your father gets home, we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy —"**

"That was a low blow mum," Bill said.

"I know," Molly sighed. "I was just so angry and worried."

" **Perfect Percy," muttered Fred.**

Percy shot his brother a stern look.

" **YOU COULD DO WITH TAKING A LEAF OUT OF PERCY'S BOOK!" yelled Mrs. Weasley, prodding a finger in Fred's chest.**

"Bet you she doesn't feel that way anymore." Fred muttered quietly so his mum couldn't hear.

**"You could have died, you could have been seen, you could have lost your father his job —"**

"Those are all good points but I think if Arthur lost his job it would be because he enchanted the car in the first place," Kingsley pointed out then sent the man an apologetic look.

**It seemed to go on for hours. Mrs. Weasley had shouted herself hoarse before she turned on Harry, who backed away.**

Remus frowned. "You aren't going to yell at Harry are you?"

"Of course not," Molly said as if offended. "He didn't ask them to fly the car.

" **I'm very pleased to see you, Harry, dear," she said. "Come in and have some breakfast."**

**She turned and walked back into the house and Harry, after a nervous glance at Ron, who nodded encouragingly, followed her.**

**The kitchen was small and rather cramped. There was a scrubbed wooden table and chairs in the middle, and Harry sat down on the edge of his seat, looking around. He had never been in a wizard house before.**

**The clock on the wall opposite him had only one hand and no numbers at all. Written around the edge were things like Time to make tea, Time to feed the chickens, and You're late.**

"That sounds like an interesting clock," Padma said.

**Books were stacked three deep on the mantelpiece, books with titles like Charm Your Own Cheese, Enchantment in Baking, and One Minute Feasts — It's Magic! And unless Harry's ears were deceiving him, the old radio next to the sink had just announced that coming up was "Witching Hour, with the popular singing sorceress, Celestina Warbeck."**

Fleur made a face.

**Mrs. Weasley was clattering around, cooking breakfast a little haphazardly, throwing dirty looks at her sons as she threw sausages into the frying pan. Every now and then she muttered things like "don't know what you were thinking of," and "never would have believed it."**

" **I don't blame you, dear," she assured Harry, tipping eight or nine sausages onto his plate.**

The adults nodded in approval.

"Good," Pomfrey said. "He needs to eat more."

Harry looked at the healer warily.

" **Arthur and I have been worried about you, too. Just last night we were saying we'd come and get you ourselves if you hadn't written back to Ron by Friday. But really," (she was now adding three fried eggs to his plate) "flying an illegal car halfway across the country — anyone could have seen you —"**

**She flicked her wand casually at the dishes in the sink, which began to clean themselves, clinking gently in the background.**

" **It was cloudy, Mum!" said Fred.**

" **You keep your mouth closed while you're eating!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.**

" **They were starving him, Mum!" said George.**

" **And you!" said Mrs. Weasley, but it was with a slightly softened expression that she started cutting Harry bread and buttering it for him.**

"That's all you had to say!" Tonks yelled staring at the woman in shock.

Molly flushed. "I thought they were making up stories to get out of trouble!" She said desperately. "If I thought there was an ounce of truth to them I never would've let him return!"

**At that moment there was a diversion in the form of a small, redheaded figure in a long nightdress, who appeared in the kitchen, gave a small squeal, and ran out again.**

"Was that Ginny?" Charlie asked turning to his sister, "When did you get shy?"

"Oh I don't know," Fred said airily.

"About the time Harry Potter entered her life," George said mockingly.

"Shut up!" Ginny said through gritted teeth.

**"Ginny," said Ron in an undertone to Harry. "My sister. She's been talking about you all summer."**

"Ron," Ginny groaned.

"What?" Ron asked looking genuinely confused. "You were."

"Don't even try Ginny." Hermione said when it looked like Ginny was about to start yelling. "He'll never understand."

"Understand what?" Ron asked while everyone within ear shot chuckled.

" **Yeah, she'll be wanting your autograph, Harry," Fred said with a grin,**

Ginny turned even redder and shot a glare at her brother.

"She wasn't the only one that year." George said in amusement and Colin blushed.

**but he caught his mother's eye and bent his face over his plate without another word. Nothing more was said until all four plates were clean, which took a surprisingly short time.**

" **Blimey, I'm tired," yawned Fred, setting down his knife and fork at last. "I think I'll go to bed and —"**

Bill and Charlie snorted.

"That's not going to happen," Charlie said.

**"You will not," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "It's your own fault you've been up all night. You're going to de-gnome the garden for me; they're getting completely out of hand again —"**

" **Oh, Mum —"**

" **And you two," she said, glaring at Ron and Fred. "You can go up to bed, dear," she added to Harry. "You didn't ask them to fly that wretched car —"**

"Harry won't go to bed," Hermione said. "Not if someone is being punished for helping him."

"You really are sweet dear," Molly said.

Fred and George snickered while Harry turned red.

**But Harry, who felt wide awake, said quickly, "I'll help Ron. I've never seen a de-gnoming —"**

" **That's very sweet of you, dear, but it's dull work," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, let's see what Lockhart's got to say on the subject —"**

Every student who had him groaned.

"Not Lockhart," Alicia said.

"He was horrible," Katie shuddered.

**And she pulled a heavy book from the stack on the mantelpiece. George groaned.**

" **Mum, we know how to de-gnome a garden —"**

"We do it enough times," Ron muttered.

**Harry looked at the cover of Mrs. Weasley's book. Written across it in fancy gold letters were the words Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests. There was a big photograph on the front of a very good-looking wizard with wavy blond hair and bright blue eyes. As always in the wizarding world, the photograph was moving; the wizard, who Harry supposed was Gilderoy Lockhart, kept winking cheekily up at them all. Mrs. Weasley beamed down at him.**

The Weasley kids snickered until Molly shot them all stern looks.

" **Oh, he is marvelous," she said. "He knows his household pests,**

"That's because he is a pest," Dean said.

**all right, it's a wonderful book…"**

" **Mum fancies him," said Fred, in a very audible whisper.**

Molly blushed.

" **Don't be so ridiculous, Fred," said Mrs. Weasley, her cheeks rather pink. "All right, if you think you know better than Lockhart,**

"Everyone knows better than that idiot," Graham Montague sneered.

**you can go and get on with it, and woe betide you if there's a single gnome in that garden when I come out to inspect it."**

**Yawning and grumbling, the Weasleys slouched outside with Harry behind them. The garden was large, and in Harry's eyes, exactly what a garden should be. The Dursleys wouldn't have liked it — there were plenty of weeds, and the grass needed cutting — but there were gnarled trees all around the walls, plants Harry had never seen spilling from every flower bed, and a big green pond full of frogs.**

"It sounds nice," Neville said.

"It is," Ginny said happily.

Draco sneered. _'You would never see the garden at Malfoy Manor looking like that.'_

" **Muggles have garden gnomes, too, you know," Harry told Ron they crossed the lawn.**

" **Yeah, I've seen those things they think are gnomes," said Ron, bent double with his head in a peony bush, "like fat little Santa Clauses with fishing rods…"**

Many muggleborns laughed and Hermione shook her head in amusement.

**There was a violent scuffling noise, the peony bush shuddered, and Ron straightened up. "This is a gnome," he said grimly.**

" **Gerroff me! Gerroff me!" squealed the gnome.**

**It was certainly nothing like Santa Claus. It was small and leathery looking, with a large, knobby, bald head exactly like a potato.**

"That's a pretty good description," Bill said in amusement.

"They sound ugly," Lavender said wrinkling her nose.

"They are," Ron told her.

**Ron held it at arm's length as it kicked out at him with its horny little feet; he grasped it around the ankles and turned it upside down.**

" **This is what you have to do," he said. He raised the gnome above his head ("Gerroff me!") and started to swing it in great circles like a lasso.**

The muggleborns looked horrified.

"It doesn't hurt them," Ron was quick to say.

**Seeing the shocked look on Harry's face, Ron added, "It doesn't hurt them —you've just got to make them really dizzy so they can't find their way back to the gnome holes."**

"Yet, they always seem to find their way back," Ron muttered.

**He let go of the gnome's ankles: It flew twenty feet into the air and landed with a thud in the field over the hedge.**

" **Pitiful," said Fred. "I bet I can get mine beyond that stump."**

**Harry learned quickly not to feel too sorry for the gnomes. He decided just to drop the first one he caught over the hedge,**

Charlie shook his head, "That won't work.

**but the gnome, sensing weakness, sank its razor-sharp teeth into Harry's finger**

Harry winced, "That had hurt."

**and he had a hard job shaking it off — until**

" **Wow, Harry — that must've been fifty feet…"**

"Impressive," Bill said.

**The air was soon thick with flying gnomes.**

" **See, they're not too bright," said George, seizing five or six gnomes at once. "The moment they know the de-gnoming's going on they storm up to have a look. You'd think they'd have learned by now just to stay put."**

**Soon, the crowd of gnomes in the field started walking away in a straggling line, their little shoulders hunched.**

" **They'll be back," said Ron as they watched the gnomes disappear into the hedge on the other side of the field. "They love it here… Dad's too soft with them; he thinks they're funny…"**

"They are." Hermione said. "Crookshanks loves to chase them."

**Just then, the front door slammed.**

" **He's back!" said George. "Dad's home!"**

"Aren't you going to be in trouble?" Angelina asked.

Fred and George looked at each other. "No."

Molly sent them a reprimanding look.

**They hurried through the garden and back into the house.**

**Mr. Weasley was slumped in a kitchen chair with his glasses off and his eyes closed. He was a thin man, going bald, but the little hair he had was as red as any of his children's.**

Arthur rubbed his head.

**He was wearing long green robes, which were dusty and travel-worn.**

" **What a night," he mumbled, groping for the teapot as they all sat down around him. "Nine raids. Nine! And old Mundungus Fletcher tried to put a hex on me when I had my back turned…"**

Those who knew Mundungus shook their heads.

"That sounds like Dung," Fred said.

"You know him?" Angelina asked shocked.

"Yeah." Fred and George said.

**Mr. Weasley took a long gulp of tea and sighed.**

" **Find anything, Dad?" said Fred eagerly.**

" **All I got were a few shrinking door keys and a biting kettle," yawned Mr. Weasley. "There was some pretty nasty stuff that wasn't my department, though. Mortlake was taken away for questioning about some extremely odd ferrets,**

Several people raised their eyebrows.

**but that's the Committee on Experimental Charms, thank goodness…"**

" **Why would anyone bother making door keys shrink?" said George.**

" **Just Muggle-baiting," sighed Mr. Weasley. "Sell them a key that keeps shrinking to nothing so they can never find it when they need it… Of course, it's very hard to convict anyone because no Muggle would admit their key keeps shrinking — they'll insist they just keep losing it. Bless them, they'll go to any lengths to ignore magic, even if it's staring them in the face… But the things our lot have taken to enchanting, you wouldn't believe —"**

Charlie winced. "You shouldn't have said that."

"You walked right into that one dad," Bill said shaking his head.

" **LIKE CARS, FOR INSTANCE?"**

"Here she goes," Ron muttered.

**Mrs. Weasley had appeared, holding a long poker like a sword. Mr. Weasley's eyes jerked open. He stared guiltily at his wife.**

" **C-cars, Molly, dear?"**

" **Yes, Arthur, cars," said Mrs. Weasley, her eyes flashing. "Imagine a wizard buying a rusty old car and telling his wife all he wanted to do with it was take it apart to see how it worked, while really he was enchanting it to make it fly."**

**Mr. Weasley blinked.**

" **Well, dear, I think you'll find that he would be quite within the law to do that, even if — er — he maybe would have done better to, um, tell his wife the truth… There's a loophole in the law, you'll find… As long as he wasn't intending to fly the car, the fact that the car could fly wouldn't —"**

Amelia shook her head in amusement.

"You made sure that there was a loophole when you wrote that law," Kingsley said hiding a smile.

Arthur grinned sheepishly while everyone laughed.

" **Arthur Weasley, you made sure there was a loophole when you wrote that law!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. "Just so you could carry on tinkering with all that Muggle rubbish in your shed! And for your information, Harry arrived this morning in the car you weren't intending to fly!"**

" **Harry?" said Mr. Weasley blankly. "Harry who?"**

Many people snorted.

"I wish more people were like that," Harry said.

**He looked around, saw Harry, and jumped.**

Fred and George snickered.

" **Good lord, is it Harry Potter? Very pleased to meet you, Ron's told us so much about —"**

" **Your sons flew that car to Harry's house and back last night!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. "What have you got to say about that, eh?"**

" **Did you really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Did it go all right?**

Everyone except for Fudge, Umbridge, Snape and Percy burst into laughter, even the Slytherins had to hide their laughs.

"That is so dad," Charlie chuckled.

**I — I mean," he faltered as sparks flew from Mrs. Weasley's eyes, "that — that was very wrong, boys — very wrong indeed…"**

Snape sneered "And we wonder why those devil children cause so much trouble, if that's the kind of lecture they get when they break the rules."

Many glares were sent to the potions master, even Molly sent him a sharp look.

"Severus really," McGonagall reprimanded.

" **Let's leave them to it," Ron muttered to Harry as Mrs. Weasley swelled like a bullfrog. "Come on, I'll show you my bedroom."**

**They slipped out of the kitchen and down a narrow passageway to an uneven staircase, which wound its way, zigzagging up through the house. On the third landing, a door stood ajar. Harry just caught sight of a pair of bright brown eyes staring at him before it closed with a snap.**

Ginny blushed crimson while some of her friends laughed, remembering when Ginny used to blush at the mere mention of Harry.

" **Ginny," said Ron. "You don't know how weird it is for her to be this shy. She never shuts up normally —"**

Ginny sent another glare at her brother.

**They climbed two more flights until they reached a door with peeling paint and a small plaque on it, saying RONALD'S ROOM.**

**Harry stepped in, his head almost touching the sloping ceiling, and blinked. It was like walking into a furnace: Nearly everything in Ron's room seemed to be a violent shade of orange:** **the bedspread, the walls, even the ceiling. Then Harry realized that Ron had covered nearly every inch of the shabby wallpaper with posters of the same seven witches and wizards, all wearing bright orange robes, carrying broomsticks, and waving energetically.**

"The Chudley Cannons?" Roger Davies asked wrinkling his nose.

" **Your Quidditch team?" said Harry.**

" **The Chudley Cannons," said Ron, pointing at the orange bedspread, which was emblazoned with two giant black C's and a speeding cannonball. "Ninth in the league."**

"They're horrible," Romilda Vane giggled.

**Ron's school spell books were stacked untidily in a corner, next to a pile of comics that all seemed to feature The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle.**

The muggleborns looked amused at the title.

**Ron's magic wand was lying on top of a fish tank full of frog spawn on the windowsill, next to his fat gray rat, Scabbers, who was snoozing in a patch of sun.**

The trio and Remus narrowed their eyes at the mention of the traitor and Snuffles growled.

"What's the deal with you guys and that rat?" Dean asked.

"Nothing." The trio said immediately causing everyone to know they were hiding something.

**Harry stepped over a pack of Self-Shuffling playing cards on the floor and looked out of the tiny window. In the field far below he could see a gang of gnomes sneaking one by one back through the Weasleys' hedge. Then he turned to look at Ron, who was watching him almost nervously, as though waiting for his opinion.**

" **It's a bit small," said Ron quickly. "Not like that room you had with the Muggles. And I'm right underneath the ghoul in the attic; he's always banging on the pipes and groaning…"**

**But Harry, grinning widely, said, "This is the best house I've ever been in."**

The Weasley's all smiled at Harry.

"I really do love the Burrow," Harry told them sincerely. "It's my second home, right after Hogwarts."

This caused the Weasley's smiles to grow.

**Ron's ears went pink.**

"That's the end of this chapter." Molly said marking the page and closing the book.

"Who wants to read the next chapter?" Dumbledore asked the hall.

"I will." Ginny said. _'If I read this chapter I won't have to read later when I'm acting weird or in the chamber.'_ Molly passed her daughter the book and Ginny opened to the correct page.


	4. Flourish and Blotts

Ginny opened the book to the correct page and began to read. **"At Flourish and Blotts."**

**Life at the Burrow was as different as possible from life on Privet Drive.**

"Well I should hope so," Molly huffed.

**The Dursleys liked everything neat and ordered; the Weasleys' house burst with the strange and unexpected. Harry got a shock the first time he looked in the mirror over the kitchen mantelpiece and it shouted, "Tuck your shirt in, scruffy!"**

"Just ignore it," Charlie told him. "It's what I do."

**The ghoul in the attic howled and dropped pipes whenever he felt things were getting too quiet, and small explosions from Fred and George's bedroom were considered perfectly normal.**

Fred and George grinned.

"Do I even want to know what you two do in there?" Angelina asked eyeing the twins warily.

"No." The twins said together.

**What Harry found most unusual about life at Ron's, however, wasn't the talking mirror or the clanking ghoul: It was the fact that everybody there seemed to like him.**

Everyone sent him pitying looks.

"How could anyone not like you?" Molly asked him. "You're so sweet."

Fred and George snickered.

"It's because of his horrible relatives," Hermione said the word relatives as if it was something vile.

**Mrs Weasley fussed over the state of his socks and tried to force him to eat fourth helpings at every meal.**

"Good," Pomfrey said approvingly. "Someone needs to make sure he's eating properly."

**Mr Weasley liked Harry to sit next to him at the dinner table so that he could bombard him with questions about life with Muggles, asking him to explain how things like plugs and the postal service worked.**

" **Fascinating." he would say as Harry talked him through using a telephone.**

"I should have explained that one a bit better," Harry said shooting Ron an exasperated look.

"Sorry mate," Ron said sheepishly.

"What happened?" Neville asked them.

"I'm sure you'll see when we read about my third year," Harry told him.

**"Ingenious, really, how many ways Muggles have found of getting along without magic."**

"It really is," said Justin.

**Harry heard from Hogwarts one sunny morning about a week after he had arrived at the Burrow. He and Ron went down to breakfast to find Mr. and Mrs Weasley and Ginny already sitting at the kitchen table. The moment she saw Harry, Ginny accidentally knocked her porridge bowl to the floor with a loud clatter.**

The twins snickered while Ginny turned red.

**Ginny seemed very prone to knocking things over whenever Harry entered a room. She dived under the table to retrieve the bowl and emerged with her face glowing like the setting sun.**

"That's how she looks right now," Fred said laughing.

"Shut up!" Ginny snapped at her brother.

**Pretending he hadn't noticed this, Harry sat down and took the toast Mrs Weasley offered him.**

"At least Harry's nice enough not to laugh about it," Bill told his sister.

"Yeah," Charlie agreed. "We all know Fred and George wouldn't be that kind."

"Oi!" Fred and George shouted looking insulted.

"Are you saying you wouldn't of made fun of her?" Bill asked giving them a disbelieving look.

"Of course we would have," Fred said.

"It's our duty as her older brothers," George said pompously.

"You two are idiots," Ginny muttered.

**"Letters from school," said Mr Weasley, passing Harry and Ron identical envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink. "Dumbledore already knows you're here, Harry — doesn't miss a trick, that man.**

**"You two have got them, too," he added, as Fred and George ambled in, still in their pyjamas.**

"Of course," Fred said. "Why wouldn't we?"

"I don't know, maybe the headmaster wizened up and expelled you two," Ginny said sweetly.

"Ginny!" Molly reprimanded glancing quickly at the headmaster who was watching the Weasley's in amusement.

**For a few minutes, there was silence as they all read their letters. Harry's told him to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual from King's Cross station on September first. There was also a list of the new books he'd need for the coming year.**

**SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:**

**The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk**

**Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart**

"Here it comes," Ron moaned.

Every student who had Lockhart groaned, the teachers didn't look any happier.

**Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart**

**Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart**

**43 Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart**

**Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart**

**Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart**

**Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart**

"I still can't believe he had the ability to write one book let alone seven," Harry said shaking his head.

Ron looked like he agreed completely with Harry

**Fred, who had finished his own list, peered over at Harry's.**

" **You've been told to get all Lockhart's books, too!" he said. "The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan — bet it's a witch."**

The twins grinned. "Well in a manner of speaking," Fred said causing the hall to burst out laughing.

"Was he that bad?" Tonks asked.

"He was horrible," Ernie said.

**At this point, Fred caught his mother's eye and quickly busied himself with the marmalade.**

" **That lot won't come cheap," said George, with a quick look at his parents. "Lockhart's books are really expensive…"**

"Those books were the biggest waste of money," Justin said. "I didn't learn anything from them."

" **Well, we'll manage," said Mrs Weasley, but she looked worried. "I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things secondhand."**

Ginny turned red, embarrassed about her families financial status.

**"Oh, are you starting at Hogwarts this year?" Harry asked Ginny.**

**She nodded, blushing to the roots of her flaming hair, and put her elbow in the butter dish.**

The hall broke out into snickers and stifled laughter.

Ginny groaned. "Must you notice every little thing?" Ginny asked in exasperation.

"I can't help it that I'm observant," Harry told her.

**Fortunately, no one saw this except Harry, because just then Ron's elder brother Percy walked in. He was already dressed, his Hogwarts prefect badge pinned to his jumper vest.**

"Why would he wear his prefect badge during the summer?" Kevin Entwhistle asked.

"Because he's a prat." Fred and George said, Percy sent his brothers a sharp look and turned red when people snickered.

" **Morning, all," said Percy briskly. "Lovely day."**

**He sat down in the only remaining chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling from underneath him a moulting, grey feather duster — at least, that was what Harry thought it was until he saw that it was breathing.**

"Errol." The Weasleys sighed.

" **Errol!" said Ron, taking the limp owl from Percy and extracting a letter from under its wing. "Finally— he's got Hermione's answer. I wrote to her saying we were going to try and rescue you from the Dursleys."**

"You approved of them flying a car to get Harry?" Neville asked shocked.

"Of course not!" Hermione said scandalized. "I didn't know they were going to fly a car there!"

**He carried Errol to a perch just inside the back door and tried to stand him on it, but Errol flopped straight off again so Ron lay him on the draining board instead, muttering, "Pathetic." Then he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it out loud:**

" **`Dear Ron, and Harry if you're there,' I hope everything went all right and that Harry is okay and that you didn't do anything illegal to get him out, Ron, because that would get Harry into trouble, too.** **I've been really worried and if Harry is all right, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be better if you used a different owl because I think another delivery might finish your one-off.**

"That's the truth," Ron grumbled.

Arthur frowned. "We probably should look into getting a new owl."

"We'll see Arthur," Molly told him.

" **I'm very busy with schoolwork, of course'— How can she be?" said Ron in horror. "We're on holiday!**

"You do receive homework over the summer Mr Weasley," McGonagall told him sternly.

— **'and we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books. Why don't we meet in Diagon Alley? Let me know what's happening as soon as you can.**

**Love from Hermione.'"**

"Love?" Fred cooed.

"How sweet!" George said batting his eyelashes.

"Shut up!" Hermione and Ron said turning red causing many people to snicker.

**"Well, that fits in nicely, we can go and get all your things then, too," said Mrs Weasley, starting to clear the table. "What're you all up to today?"**

**Harry, Ron, Fred, and George were planning to go up the hill to a small paddock the Weasleys owned. It was surrounded by trees that blocked it from view of the village below, meaning that they could practice Quidditch there, as long as they didn't fly too high.**

"At least you can still fly," Dean said.

**They couldn't use real Quidditch balls, which would have been hard to explain if they had escaped and flown away over the village; instead they threw apples for one another to catch. They took turns riding Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand, which was easily the best broom; Ron's old Shooting Star was often outstripped by passing butterflies.**

Fred and George snorted.

"I'm sure that's just a little dramatic," Remus said.

"No, not really," Ron said. "It was a horrible broom, but it doesn't matter I have a new one now."

**Five minutes later they were marching up the hill, broomsticks over their shoulders. They had asked Percy if he wanted to join them, but he had said he was busy.**

**Harry had only seen Percy at mealtimes so far; he stayed shut in his room the rest of the time.**

**"Wish I knew what he was up to," said Fred, frowning. "He's not himself. His exam results came the day before you did; twelve O.W.L.s and he hardly gloated at all."**

"Really?" Several people asked surprised.

"Yeah," Ginny said. "It was odd, we all thought he'd be gloating more."

Percy turned red. _'Is it so wrong to want to do well?'_

" **Ordinary Wizarding Levels," George explained, seeing Harry's puzzled look. "Bill got twelve, too. If we're not careful, we'll have another Head Boy in the family. I don't think I could stand the shame."**

"Oi, there's nothing wrong with being head boy!" Bill exclaimed.

"You were a cool head boy," Fred told his older brother.

"It's completely different," George said.

"Boys," Arthur reprimanded. "He's still your brother."

"Some brother," Fred snapped.

"Yeah, what kind of brother ditched their family and friends for a job," George said glaring at Percy.

Arthur sighed, tears welled in Molly's eyes and Percy looked down in shame.

**Bill was the oldest Weasley brother. He and the next brother, Charlie, had already left Hogwarts. Harry had never met either of them but knew that Charlie was in Romania studying dragons and Bill in Egypt working for the wizard's bank, Gringotts.**

"What do you do for Gringotts?" Colin asked.

"I'm a curse breaker," Bill told him.

"Wicked!" Colin exclaimed.

" **Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year," said George after a while. "Five sets of Lockhart books! And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything…"**

"It's not for you children to worry about," Arthur told his children.

"We manage," Molly added for her husband.

**Harry said nothing. He felt a bit awkward. Stored in an underground vault at Gringotts in London was a small fortune that his parents had left him.**

"It's not your fault dear," Molly told him gently. "Your parents were wealthy, that's nothing to be ashamed of or feel bad about."

**Of course, it was only in the wizarding world that he had money; you couldn't use Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts in Muggle shops.**

"Goblins do exchange it for pounds," Hermione told him.

"I didn't know that back then," Harry reminded her.

**He had never mentioned his Gringotts bank account to the Dursleys; he didn't think their horror of anything connected with magic would stretch to a large pile of gold.**

"They wouldn't be able to get to it," Bill pointed out. "They wouldn't have access."

"And I highly doubt your aunt or uncle would be willing to get within a hundred yards of a goblin," Charlie said.

Harry chuckled. "Very true."

**Mrs. Weasley woke them all early the following Wednesday. After a quick half a dozen bacon sandwiches each, they pulled on their coats and Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.**

" **We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today… Ah well, guests first! After you, Harry dear!"**

**And she offered him the flowerpot.**

"I had no idea what you were trying to get me to do," Harry told her.

"I kept forgetting you didn't know much about our world back then," Molly said turning red.

**Harry stared at them all watching him.**

" **W-what am I supposed to do?" he stammered.**

" **He's never travelled by Floo powder," said Ron suddenly. "Sorry, Harry, I forgot."**

"How did you forget your best friend was raised by muggles?" Zacharias Smith sneered.

Ron turned red.

"He was twelve." Hermione snapped in his defense, ever since Zacharias came to the DA he's been getting on her nerves.

" **Never?" said Mr. Weasley. "But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?"**

" **I went on the Underground —"**

**"Really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Were there escapators? How exactly —"**

The muggleborns laughed.

"What's so funny about that?" Tracey asked.

"They're called escalators," Harry told her.

" **Not now, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley. "Floo powder's a lot quicker, dear, but goodness me, if you've never used it before —"**

" **He'll be all right, Mum," said Fred. "Harry, watch us first."**

"You probably shouldn't of left him go by himself on his first time," Remus said worried he'd get hurt.

"You're right." Harry muttered, remembering where he ended up.

**He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire, and threw the powder into the flames.**

**With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, "Diagon Alley!" and vanished.**

" **You must speak clearly, dear," Mrs. Weasley told Harry as George dipped his hand into the flowerpot. "And be sure to get out at the right grate…"**

"Mum," Charlie sighed. "I doubt he knew what you meant by that."

" **The right what?" said Harry nervously as the fire roared and whipped George out of sight, too.**

" **Well, there are an awful lot of wizard fires to choose from, you know, but as long as you've spoken clearly —"**

" **He'll be fine, Molly, don't fuss," said Mr. Weasley, helping himself to Floo powder too.**

" **But, dear, if he got lost, how would we ever explain to his aunt and uncle?"**

"That would make their year," Harry said dryly.

" **They wouldn't mind," Harry reassured her. "Dudley would think it was a brilliant joke if I got lost up a chimney, don't worry about that —"**

"It actually would be funny," Fred said.

"It would," George snickered.

Molly sent them a sharp look.

"Oh come on mum," George said. "If he didn't get hurt it would be funny."

"Thanks George," Harry muttered.

" **Well… all right… you go after Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, when you get into the fire, say where you're going."**

" **And keep your elbows tucked in," Ron advised.**

"Good advice," Ernie said.

" **And your eyes shut," said Mrs. Weasley. "The soot —"**

"How's he supposed to look for the right grate if his eyes are closed?" Hermione asked.

" **Don't fidget," said Ron. "Or you might well fall out of the wrong fireplace —"**

" **But don't panic and get out too early; wait until you see Fred and George."**

"You guys are just confusing him," Bill pointed out.

**Trying hard to bear all this in mind, Harry took a pinch of Floo powder and walked to the edge of the fire. He took a deep breath, scattered the powder into the flames, and stepped forward; the fire felt like a warm breeze; he opened his mouth and immediately swallowed a lot of hot ash.**

"That's not good," Neville said.

"Really Longbottom?" Malfoy sneered. "And here I thought that's what was supposed to happen."

"Mr. Malfoy!" McGonagall shouted.

" **D-Dia-gon Alley," he coughed.**

The whole hall groaned.

"Let me guess," Bill said with a sigh. "You didn't end up in Diagon Alley?"

"Nope," Harry said.

"Do we want to know where it sent you?" Remus asked hesitantly.

"Probably not," Harry said honestly.

"Of course," Remus said rubbing his temples.

**It felt as though he was being sucked down a giant drain. He seemed to be spinning very fast — the roaring in his ears was deafening —**

Those who had never traveled by floo before looked ill at the description.

**he tried to keep his eyes open but the whirl of green flames made him feel sick —something hard knocked his elbow and he tucked it in tightly,**

"I told you to keep your elbows in," Ron told him.

"Not the time for I told you so Ronald," Hermione said exasperated.

**still spinning and spinning — now it felt as though cold hands were slapping his face — squinting through his glasses he saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and snatched glimpses of the rooms beyond — his bacon sandwiches were churning inside him — he closed his eyes again wishing it would stop, and then…**

**He fell, face forward, onto cold stone and felt the bridge of his glasses snap.**

"You should've taken your glasses off first," Bill pointed out.

"I didn't know that then seeing as I'd never used the floo before," Harry reminded him.

**Dizzy and bruised, covered in soot, he got gingerly to his feet, holding his broken glasses up to his eyes. He was quite alone, but where he was, he had no idea. All he could tell was that he was standing in the stone fireplace of what looked like a large, dimly lit wizard's shop — but nothing in here was ever likely to be on a Hogwarts school list.**

Everyone leaned forward, wanting to know where he ended up.

**A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion, a bloodstained pack of cards, and a staring glass eye. Evil-looking masks stared down from the walls, an assortment of human bones lay upon the counter, and rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling. Even worse, the dark, narrow street Harry could see through the dusty shop window was definitely not Diagon Alley.**

"No!" The adults gasped.

"Where is he?" Dean asked.

"Knockturn Alley," Remus said looking pale.

"You need to get out of there Harry," Tonks said hurriedly. "That's not a place for kids."

"Especially not the boy who lived," Moody grunted.

"What's so bad about Knockturn Alley?" Dennis asked.

"It's a horrible place," Bill told him. "It's where dark wizards go."

Those who didn't know about it looked at the book fearfully.

"You need to get out of there!" Colin said.

Harry was trying to hide his annoyance. _'Everyone does know this happened years ago right? I can't change anything that already happened to me.'_ "I got out fine," he told everyone.

**The sooner he got out of here, the better. Nose still stinging where it had hit the hearth, Harry made his way swiftly and silently toward the door, but before he'd got halfway toward it, two people appeared on the other side of the glass — and one of them was the very last person Harry wanted to meet when he was lost, covered in soot, and wearing broken glasses: Draco Malfoy.**

Most of the hall groaned.

Amelia and the aurors looked at the book, Lucius Malfoy, did he buy anything? Arthur looked excited, hoping he could read about something he could get on Lucius.

Draco paled. "You were there that day?"

"Yep," Harry said with a smirk.

**Harry looked quickly around and spotted a large black cabinet to his left; he shot inside it and pulled the doors closed, leaving a small crack to peer through.**

The adults exchanged exasperated looks while Moody growled.

"Harry," Tonks began, talking as if to a five year old. "You're in a strange place that appears to be full of dark magic and you climb in a cabinet that you don't know what it does? It could be dangerous."

"I was twelve," Harry said annoyed. "Besides nothing bad happened."

"That's not the point," Remus sighed. "That sounds like a vanishing cabinet, you could've been sent anywhere."

"Oh," was all Harry said.

Snape sneered _. 'Idiot boy, doesn't even care about his own safety.'_

**Seconds later, a bell clanged, and Malfoy stepped into the shop.**

**The man who followed could only be Draco's father.**

**He had the same pale, pointed face and identical cold, gray eyes. Mr. Malfoy crossed the shop, looking lazily at the items on display, and rang a bell on the counter before turning to his son and saying, "Touch nothing, Draco."**

"Good advice in that shop," Moody grunted. "Most of the things in there are cursed."

"Isn't that lovely?" Susan asked sarcastically.

**Malfoy, who had reached for the glass eye, said, "I thought you were going to buy me a present."**

"Spoiled brat," Ron muttered.

" **I said I would buy you a racing broom," said his father, drumming his fingers on the counter.**

"More like you'll buy him seven racing brooms so he could buy his way onto his houses quidditch team," Harry said loudly.

"I did not buy my way on!" Draco snapped.

"Yes you did." The old Gryffindor quidditch team said, Malfoy just glared at them.

" **What's the good of that if I'm not on the House team?" said Malfoy, looking sulky and bad-tempered. "Harry Potter got a Nimbus Two Thousand last year. Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor. He's not even that good, it's just because he's famous… famous for having a stupid scar on his forehead…"**

"Somebody is jealous," Fred sang.

**Malfoy bent down to examine a shelf full of skulls.**

"… **everyone thinks he's so smart, wonderful Potter with his scar and his broomstick —"**

"And you say Harry is a spoiled brat." Tonks said to Snape who sneered.

Fred and George snickered at the look on the head of Slytherins face.

" **You have told me this at least a dozen times already," said Mr. Malfoy, with a quelling look at his son.**

"Maybe he has a crush on you," George said seriously.

"Eww!" Harry and Draco both yelled.

"He might, he does talk about you a lot," Fred said keeping a straight face.

"And he always seems to find you," George said nodding his head.

"That's disgusting," Harry said.

"For once I agree with you Potter," Draco sneered.

The twins couldn't hold it in anymore, they burst into laughter.

"Very mature you two," Bill said shaking his head.

**"And I would remind you that it is not — prudent — to appear less than fond of Harry Potter, not when most of our kind regard him as the hero who made the Dark Lord disappear**

"Little Dracipoo doesn't listen very well," Fred said.

"Yeah," George said. "Everyone knows that he hates our Harrikins."

"Don't call me that," Draco snapped.

"Whatever you say Dracipoo." George cooed causing the hall to burst into laughter and Draco to scowl.

"Misters Weasley!" McGonagall and Snape said at the same time Molly yelled. "Fred! George!"

"Worth it." Fred and George said with a shrug.

— **ah, Mr. Borgin."**

**A stooping man had appeared behind the counter, smoothing his greasy hair back from his face.**

"Ah, that must be Snape's cousin," Ron said seriously causing the hall to break into snickers and snorts.

"Mr. Weasley!" Snape barked.

"Ronald!" Molly admonished.

Fred and George gave Ron high fives.

" **Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again," said Mr. Borgin in a voice as oily as his hair. "Delighted — and young Master Malfoy, too — charmed. How may I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today, and very reasonably priced —"**

" **I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin, but selling," said Mr. Malfoy.**

"He's worried, that's good," Moody said with a twisted smile.

"Lucius would never buy something from there," Fudge spluttered.

"He just said he wasn't buying today, which means he has at another time," Kingsley said. "He also said that he's selling, and we all know innocent objects aren't sold at Borgin and Burkes."

Fudge turned red. "I'm sure he has a very good reason."

"I'm sure," Amelia said dryly.

Umbridge looked furious, this book was damaging a good man's name.

" **Selling?" The smile faded slightly from Mr. Borgin's face.**

" **You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids," said Mr. Malfoy, taking a roll of parchment from his inside pocket and unraveling it for Mr. Borgin to read. "I have a few — ah — items at home that might embarrass me, if the Ministry were to call…"**

Many people shot the minster looks that clearly said, I told you so.

Fudge on the other hand looked like a gaping fish. _'I'll have to speak to Lucius about this, I'm sure he has a reasonable excuse.'_

**Mr. Borgin fixed a pair of pince-nez to his nose and looked down the list.**

" **The Ministry wouldn't presume to trouble you, sir, surely?"**

"With the amount of gold he spends bribing ministry officials, I'm surprised they are," Tonks spat.

"How dare you accuse him of such thing Auror Tonks!" Umbridge yelled.

Tonks rolled her eyes.

**Mr. Malfoy's lip curled.**

" **I have not been visited yet. The name Malfoy still commands a certain respect, yet the Ministry grows ever more meddlesome. There are rumors about a new Muggle Protection Act — no doubt that flea-bitten, Muggle-loving fool Arthur Weasley is behind it —"**

The Weasley's, Harry and Hermione all glared at the book.

**Harry felt a hot surge of anger.**

"Thank you Harry." Arthur and Molly both said, Harry sent them a small smile.

"— **and as you see, certain of these poisons might make it appear —"**

"That you're trying to kill someone," Charlie said dryly.

Draco shot Charlie a death glare. "My father would never!"

Several people snorted.

"Really?" Harry asked innocently. "Because I was under the impression that killing people is what death eaters did."

"How dare you!" Draco, Fudge and Umbridge yelled.

"He was under the imperious curse!" Fudge said.

"I'm sure he was," Harry scoffed.

Umbridge wrote something down on her clipboard while Fudge and Draco continued to glare at Harry.

" **I understand, sir, of course," said Mr. Borgin. "Let me see…"**

" **Can I have that?" interrupted Draco, pointing at the withered hand on its cushion.**

"Ew." Lavender and Parvarti both said.

"Why would anyone want that?" Susan asked incredulously.

" **Ah, the Hand of Glory!" said Mr. Borgin, abandoning Mr. Malfoy's list and scurrying over to Draco. "Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunderers! Your son has fine taste, sir."**

"That would be useful," Moody grunted.

" **I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin," said Mr. Malfoy coldly, and Mr. Borgin said quickly, "No offense, sir, no offense meant —"**

" **Though if his grades don't pick up," said Mr. Malfoy, more coldly still, "that may indeed be all he is fit for —"**

Several of the Slytherins started snickering.

"Parent burn!" George exclaimed causing more people to join in the snickering.

" **It's not my fault," retorted Draco. "The teachers all have favorites, that Hermione Granger —"**

" **I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam," snapped Mr. Malfoy.**

"I study," Hermione snapped. "Maybe if you spent more time doing that and less time picking on everyone you'd have better grades."

Everyone looked at Hermione in shock.

"Way to go Hermione!" Harry and Ron said causing her to blush.

**"Ha!" said Harry under his breath, pleased to see Draco looking both abashed and angry.**

"Of course you were," Draco muttered.

" **It's the same all over," said Mr. Borgin, in his oily voice. "Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere —"**

"It shouldn't matter at all," Hermione said firmly.

Those who believed in pure blood superiority rolled their eyes or sneered.

" **Not with me," said Mr. Malfoy, his long nostrils flaring.**

" **No, sir, nor with me, sir," said Mr. Borgin, with a deep bow.**

" **In that case, perhaps we can return to my list," said Mr. Malfoy shortly. "I am in something of a hurry, Borgin, I have important business elsewhere today —"**

Harry shot the book a death glare, he knew what his so called important business was.

**They started to haggle. Harry watched nervously as Draco drew nearer and nearer to his hiding place, examining the objects for sale. Draco paused to examine a long coil of hangman's rope and to read, smirking, the card propped on a magnificent necklace of opals, Caution: Do Not Touch. Cursed — Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggle Owners to Date.**

"That's horrible!" Many people exclaimed.

"That thing should be destroyed," Tonks said.

"Indeed Auror Tonks it should," Amelia said with thin lips.

**Draco turned away and saw the cabinet right in front of him. He walked forward — he stretched out his hand for the handle**

Everyone held their breath.

**"Done," said Mr. Malfoy at the counter. "Come, Draco —"**

**Harry wiped his forehead on his sleeve as Draco turned away.**

"I was so close to finding him," Draco muttered to himself.

"You're lucky he didn't find you," Dean pointed out.

" **Good day to you, Mr. Borgin. I'll expect you at the manor tomorrow to pick up the goods."**

**The moment the door had closed, Mr. Borgin dropped his oily manner.**

"Of course he would suck up to Malfoy," Bill muttered.

" **Good day yourself, Mister Malfoy, and if the stories are true, you haven't sold me half of what's hidden in your manor…"**

Amelia and the aurors raised their eyebrows.

Draco shot the book a glare.

**Muttering darkly, Mr. Borgin disappeared into a back room. Harry waited for a minute in case he came back, then, quietly as he could, slipped out of the cabinet, past the glass cases, and out of the shop door.**

**Clutching his broken glasses to his face, Harry stared around. He had emerged into a dingy alleyway that seemed to be made up entirely of shops devoted to the Dark Arts. The one he'd just left, Borgin and Burkes, looked like the largest, but opposite was a nasty window display of shrunken heads and, two doors down, a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders.**

Ron shuddered.

"That sounds horrible," Parvarti squealed.

"It was," Harry said grimacing. "I never want to go there again."

**Two shabby-looking wizards were watching him from the shadow of a doorway, muttering to each other. Feeling jumpy, Harry set off, trying to hold his glasses on straight and hoping against hope he'd be able to find a way out of here.**

**An old wooden street sign hanging over a shop selling poisonous candles told him he was in Knockturn Alley. This didn't help, as Harry had never heard of such a place.**

"Someone should've told you about it, at least so they could've told you not to go down there," Remus said.

**He supposed he hadn't spoken clearly enough through his mouthful of ashes back in the Weasleys' fire. Trying to stay calm, he wondered what to do.**

" **Not lost are you, my dear?" said a voice in his ear, making him jump.**

**An aged witch stood in front of him, holding a tray of what looked horribly like whole human fingernails.**

Many people looked sick at the thought.

"That's disgusting!" Lisa Turpin exclaimed.

**She leered at him, showing mossy teeth. Harry backed away.**

"I don't blame you mate," Ron said.

" **I'm fine, thanks," he said. "I'm just —"**

" **HARRY! What d'yeh think yer doin' down there?"**

"Hagrid!" Many people said, sighing in relief.

**Harry's heart leapt. So did the witch; a load of fingernails cascaded down over her feet and she cursed as the massive form of Hagrid, the Hogwarts' gamekeeper, came striding toward them, beetle-black eyes flashing over his great bristling beard.**

" **Hagrid!" Harry croaked in relief. "I was lost — Floo powder —"**

**Hagrid seized Harry by the scruff of the neck and pulled him away from the witch, knocking the tray right out of her hands.**

"You don't have to be so rough," Molly chided.

"Sorry," Hagrid said sheepishly.

**Her shrieks followed them all the way along the twisting alleyway out into bright sunlight. Harry saw a familiar, snow-white marble building in the distance — Gringotts Bank. Hagrid had steered him right into Diagon Alley.**

" **Yer a mess!" said Hagrid gruffly; brushing soot off Harry so forcefully he nearly knocked him into a barrel of dragon dung outside an apothecary.**

The twins burst out laughing at the image.

" **Skulkin' around Knockturn Alley, I dunno dodgy place, Harry — don' want no one ter see yeh down there —"**

"Of course not," Harry said a little too loud. "Everyone would think I'm turning into a dark lord or something."

"Probably," Hermione sighed.

"I hate being famous," Harry muttered.

"I know," she told him.

He was sent more sympathetic looks, the more everyone read and heard from Harry the more everyone could tell he didn't want his fame.

" **I realized that," said Harry, ducking as Hagrid made to brush him off again. "I told you, I was lost — what were you doing down there, anyway?"**

" **I was lookin' fer a Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellent," growled Hagrid. "They're ruinin' the school cabbages.** **Yer not on yer own?"**

" **I'm staying with the Weasleys but we got separated," Harry explained. "I've got to go and find them…"**

"Molly's probably frantic," Remus said.

"I was," Molly said blushing. "He could've ended up anywhere."

**They set off together down the street.**

" **How come yeh never wrote back ter me?" said Hagrid as Harry jogged alongside him (he had to take three steps to every stride of Hagrid's enormous boots). Harry explained all about Dobby and the Dursleys.**

"I'm sure you didn't tell him everything," McGonagall said sending him a sharp look.

Harry shrugged and turned away.

" **Lousy Muggles," growled Hagrid. "If I'd've known —"**

" **Harry! Harry! Over here!"**

**Harry looked up and saw Hermione Granger standing at the top of the white flight of steps to Gringotts. She ran down to meet them, her bushy brown hair flying behind her.**

" **What happened to your glasses? Hello, Hagrid —**

"No hi Harry, how have you been? Instead it's what did you do to your glasses," Harry said teasingly.

"Oh hush you," Hermione said turning red.

**Oh, it's wonderful to see you two again — Are you coming into Gringotts, Harry?"**

" **As soon as I've found the Weasleys," said Harry.**

" **Yeh won't have long ter wait," Hagrid said with a grin.**

**Harry and Hermione looked around: Sprinting up the crowded street were Ron, Fred, George, Percy, and Mr. Weasley.**

" **Harry," Mr. Weasley panted. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far…" He mopped his glistening bald patch. "Molly's frantic — she's coming now —"**

" **Where did you come out?" Ron asked.**

" **Knockturn Alley," said Hagrid grimly.**

" **Excellent!" said Fred and George together.**

"I don't feel that way anymore." George said quickly when he saw the sharp looks from all the adults.

"Me either, my curiosity has been satisfied," Fred added.

" **We've never been allowed in," said Ron enviously.**

"And you'll never be allowed," Molly said firmly.

"After hearing Harry's description, I never want to go there," Ron said grimacing.

" **I should ruddy well think not," growled Hagrid. Mrs. Weasley now came galloping into view, her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging onto the other.**

" **Oh, Harry — oh, my dear — you could have been anywhere —"**

**Gasping for breath she pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping off the soot Hagrid hadn't managed to beat away. Mr. Weasley took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap of his wand, and returned them, good as new.**

"I finally learned that spell," Harry said mock pompously.

"Took you long enough," Ron said amusedly.

Harry smacked him upside the head. "Oi!" Ron shouted.

" **Well, gotta be off," said Hagrid, who was having his hand wrung by Mrs. Weasley ("Knockturn Alley! If you hadn't found him, Hagrid!"). "See yer at Hogwarts!" And he strode away, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street.**

" **Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione as they climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his father."**

 _'Of course he'd tell the weasel and the mudblood.'_ Draco thought bitterly.

" **Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" said Mr. Weasley sharply behind them.**

" **No, he was selling —"**

" **So he's worried," said Mr. Weasley with grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something…"**

Draco, Fudge and Umbridge shot Arthur dark looks.

 _'So would I.'_ Amelia, Tonks, Moody and Kingsley thought.

" **You be careful, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley sharply as they were bowed into the bank by a goblin at the door. "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew —"**

"Ouch mum," Bill said shaking his head. "You're making it sound like he's weak."

Molly turned red. "That isn't what I meant at all!"

"I know Molly dear," Arthur assured her.

" **So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" said Mr. Weasley indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them.**

" **Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione as the Weasleys and Harry were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.**

**The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. Harry enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys' vault, but felt dreadful, far worse than he had in Knockturn Alley, when it was opened. There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon. Mrs. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag.**

All of the Weasley's looked embarrassed.

Draco wore a very smug look on his face.

**Harry felt even worse when they reached his vault. He tried to block the contents from view as he hastily shoved handfuls of coins into a leather bag.**

"Like I said, it's nothing to be ashamed of dear," Molly told Harry kindly.

**Back outside on the marble steps, they all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan.**

**Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to a secondhand robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.**

" **We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your schoolbooks," said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreating backs.**

"Did you go?" Neville asked.

"No." Fred and George said quickly.

Molly eyed them carefully. "You better not have."

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver, and bronze jangling cheerfully in Harry's pocket was clamoring to be spent, so he bought three large strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice creams,**

"That was sweet of you," Molly said smiling.

**which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows.**

**Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until Hermione dragged them off to buy ink and parchment next door. In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks,**

The teachers all sent the twins either annoyed or exasperated looks.

**and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks covered in potion stains they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.**

**Several eye brows were raised and many snorts were heard.**

"That sounds fascinating," Wayne Hopkins said sarcastically.

" **A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers," Ron read aloud off the back cover. "That sounds fascinating…"**

" **Go away," Percy snapped.**

"' **Course, he's very ambitious, Percy, he's got it all planned out… He wants to be Minister of Magic…" Ron told Harry and Hermione in an undertone as they left Percy to it.**

"There's nothing wrong with being ambitious," Percy said quietly.

Not quietly enough however for the Weasley's heard it, even though they're at the Gryffindor table and Percy's at the staff table.

"There's a difference between being ambitious and being a family ditching pompous prat," Ron spat.

Percy turned red.

"Ronald!" Molly scolded.

"It's true," Ron grumbled.

**An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:**

**GILDEROY LOCKHART**

Groans were heard at every table.

**will be signing copies of his autobiography**

**MAGICAL ME**

**today 12:30P. 4:30P.M.**

" **We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole book list!"**

"You had a crush on him?" Charlie asked amused.

Hermione mumbled something incoherent and turned red causing the twins to snicker.

**The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley's age.**

"My mum fancied him, we stood in line for an hour just so she could meet him" Marcus Belby grumbled.

**A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please, ladies… Don't push, there… mind the books, now…"**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger.**

" **Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute…"**

**Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.**

Most of the boys in the hall grimaced.

**A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.**

"That smoke was bloody annoying," Ron grumbled.

" **Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving Prophet —"**

"Big deal." Many people muttered.

" **Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it.**

**Gilderoy Lockhart heard him.**

Harry sent his best friend a mock glare.

"Sorry mate," Ron said chuckling.

"What happened?" Colin asked.

Harry said nothing, instead he gestured to the book.

**He looked up. He saw Ron — and then he saw Harry. He stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be Harry Potter?"**

Harry groaned.

**The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry's arm, and pulled him to the front.**

**The crowd burst into applause. Harry's face burned as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over the Weasleys.**

"Isn't it against the law to photograph someone without their consent? Especially if they're a minor?" Hermione asked.

"If it's not it should be," Harry muttered.

" **Nice big smile, Harry," said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."**

"Harry's worth the front page by himself," Colin said.

**When he finally let go of Harry's hand, Harry could hardly feel his fingers. He tried to sidle back over to the Weasleys, but Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side.**

Many people were now glaring at the book, Snuffles was growling and baring his teeth.

" **Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!** **When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography**

"Actually I didn't," Harry snapped. "I would never voluntarily buy any of his books. I wouldn't even use them to light a fire."

— **which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge —" The crowd applauded again.**

Draco sneered. "Of course."

"Shut up Malfoy," Daphne said icily. "It's obvious he doesn't want the attention."

Draco just continued to sneer.

" **He had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses slip to the end of his nose, "that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"**

"I still can't believe you ever hired that man Albus," McGonagall said.

"He was the only one who applied," Dumbledore said with a sigh.

"We would've been better off without a teacher for that class," Terry said.

**The crowd cheered and clapped and Harry found himself being presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering slightly under their weight, he managed to make his way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron.**

" **You have these," Harry mumbled to her, tipping the books into the cauldron. "I'll buy my own —"**

"You should have kept them for yourself," Molly told him.

Harry shook his head. "I don't want anything with his autograph on it, it was either give them away or throw them out."

" **Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" said a voice Harry had no trouble recognizing. He straightened up and found himself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer.**

"Of course." Several people said.

"Does he ever leave you alone?" Katie asked incredulously.

"Nope," Harry said.

" **Famous Harry Potter," said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."**

"He didn't ask for it," Ginny snapped.

" **Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said Ginny. It was the first time she had spoken in front of Harry. She was glaring at Malfoy.**

**"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" drawled Malfoy. Ginny went scarlet as Ron and Hermione fought their way over, both clutching stacks of Lockhart's books.**

" **Oh, it's you," said Ron, looking at Malfoy as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe.**

**"Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"**

"If he didn't send Dobby he would have no idea what you were talking about," Anthony Goldstein pointed out.

" **Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted Malfoy. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."**

"Mr. Malfoy!" McGonagall, Sprout and Flitwick all yelled.

"That was uncalled for," McGonagall said sternly.

All of the Weasley's and most of the Gryffindors were glaring at Malfoy.

**Ron went as red as Ginny. He dropped his books into the cauldron, too, and started toward Malfoy, but Harry and Hermione grabbed the back of his jacket.**

"Shouldn't have stopped me," Ron grumbled.

**"Ron!" said Mr. Weasley, struggling over with Fred and George. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."**

" **Well, well, well — Arthur Weasley."**

**It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way.**

Snape inwardly groaned.

" **Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.**

" **Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids… I hope they're paying you overtime?"**

**He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.**

Ginny stopped reading. _'This is it, in a few minutes is when he'll give me that horrible diary that almost killed me and caused Harry to risk his life.'_

"Are you alright Gin?" Hermione asked gently.

Many people exchanged confused looks, why wouldn't she be alright?

"I'll be OK," Ginny took a deep breath and continued to read.

" **Obviously not," Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"**

"The Weasley's aren't the ones who are a disgrace," Harry snapped.

**Mr. Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny.**

" **We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.**

" **Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley… and I thought your family could sink no lower."**

Hermione shot the book a death glare.

**There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf.**

"Go dad!" The Weasley's yelled while most of the hall yelled. "Go Mr. Weasley!"

Harry and Ron were smirking at Draco who was scowling.

 **Dozens of heavy spell books came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!"; the crowd stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over;** **"Gentlemen, please — please!" cried the assistant, and then, louder than all —** " **Break it up, there, gents, break it up —"**

**Hagrid was wading toward them through the sea of books. In an instant he had pulled Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy apart.**

"Ah Hagrid why'd you break it up?" Fred moaned.

"You should've let them fight for a few more minutes," George said.

The adults shot them sharp looks.

**Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools. He was still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.**

Ginny's voice wavered as she read that line.

Harry, Ron and Hermione glared at the book, this was when he gave her the diary.

" **Here, girl — take your book — it's the best your father can give you —" Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop.**

" **Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that — no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter — bad blood, that's what it is — come on now — let's get outta here."**

**The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think better of it. They hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.**

" **A fine example to set for your children… brawling in public… what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought —"**

"Who cares what that pansy thought," Michael said.

"He was probably pleased with all the publicity," Cormac sneered.

" **He was pleased," said Fred. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report — said it was all publicity —"**

"Of course," Harry said rolling his eyes.

**But it was a subdued group that headed back to the fireside in the Leaky Cauldron, where Harry, the Weasleys, and all their shopping would be traveling back to the Burrow using Floo powder. They said good-bye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side; Mr. Weasley started to ask them how bus stops worked, but stopped quickly at the look on Mrs. Weasley's face.**

Fred and George snickered.

**Harry took off his glasses and put them safely in his pocket before helping himself to Floo powder. It definitely wasn't his favorite way to travel.**

"It still isn't," Harry mumbled.

Ginny sighed in relief and closed the book. "That's the end of the chapter." She looked around the table. "What to read next Nev?"

Neville shrugged, "Sure."


	5. The Whomping Willow

Neville opened the book to the marked page and began to read. **"The Whomping Willow"**

Remus looked at Harry. "Whomping willow? Why is this chapter entitled the whomping willow?"

Harry grimaced, "Uh, you'll see."

Remus groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

**The end of the summer vacation came too quickly for Harry's liking.**

"The end of the summer always comes to quickly." Jimmy Peakes said to nods of agreement.

**He was looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts, but his month at the Burrow had been the happiest of his life.**

The Weasley's sans Percy beamed at him.

**It was difficult not to feel jealous of Ron when he thought of the Dursleys and the sort of welcome he could expect next time he turned up on Privet Drive.**

Ron looked at his best friend in shock. "You, Harry Potter, are jealous of me?" He asked incredulously.

"Of course I am," Harry sighed. "I may have money and fame but I don't want the fame you know that, and you have the one thing I want more than anything in the world. The one thing that money can't buy."

"What?" Ron asked confused.

"A family who loves you," Harry said looking at Ron in the eyes.

Ron looked astonished. "I never realized, but after reading about your relatives..." he trailed off. "You know you have family though don't you? Me, mum, dad, the twins, Ginny and Hermione. We're your family."

Hermione squeezed his hand.

"Don't forget about us!" Charlie said gesturing to him and Bill, who nodded and smiled at Harry.

Harry smiled brightly at them all. "Thanks guys."

Many people were smiling at the scene before them.

"It's good that he has people who care about him," Sprout whispered to McGonagall.

"Yes, they are very good friends," McGonagall said.

**On their last evening, Mrs. Weasley conjured up a sumptuous dinner that included all of Harry's favorite things, ending with a mouth-watering treacle pudding.**

"My favorite," Harry said, his mouth watering.

"Oh honestly," Hermione said amused. "You're almost as bad as Ron."

"Hey!" Harry shouted at the same time Ron shouted. "Oi!" The hall laughed at the trio.

**Fred and George rounded off the evening with a display of Filibuster fireworks; they filled the kitchen with red and blue stars that bounced from ceiling to wall for at least half an hour.**

Fred and George grinned and high fived.

Filch glared at the twins. _'Hooligans.'_

**Then it was time for a last mug of hot chocolate and bed.**

Harry smiled at his memories of his times at the burrow.

**It took a long while to get started next morning. They were up at dawn, but somehow they still seemed to have a great deal to do. Mrs. Weasley dashed about in a bad mood looking for spare socks and quills; people kept colliding on the stairs, half-dressed with bits of toast in their hands; and Mr. Weasley nearly broke his neck, tripping over a stray chicken as he crossed the yard carrying Ginny's trunk to the car.**

"We're always in a rush on the first day of school," Ginny said.

Molly shook her head. "It doesn't matter how much we prepare the night before, we're always running late."

**Harry couldn't see how eight people, six large trunks, two owls, and a rat were going to fit into one small Ford Anglia. He had reckoned, of course, without the special features that Mr. Weasley had added.**

"Special features?" Molly asked shooting her husband a stern look. "What special features are these Arthur?"

Arthur looked around sheepishly while everyone else looked amused, he then sighed. "I'm sure the book will explain Molly dear."

" **Not a word to Molly," he whispered to Harry as he opened the trunk and showed him how it had been magically expanded so that the luggage fitted easily.**

"This book really isn't doing you any favors dad," Charlie said laughing.

**When at last they were all in the car, Mrs. Weasley glanced into the back seat, where Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Percy were all sitting comfortably side by side, and said, "Muggles do know more than we give them credit for, don't they?"**

"How was I supposed to know? I had never been in a car besides that one, I thought that's how all cars were," Molly said with a huff.

The muggleborns shook their heads while laughing.

"Wizards really do need to learn more about the muggle world," Hermione said.

Several Slytherins sneered when several people nodded in agreement.

**She and Ginny got into the front seat, which had been stretched so that it resembled a park bench. "I mean, you'd never know it was this roomy from the outside, would you?"**

**Mr. Weasley started up the engine and they trundled out of the yard, Harry turning back for a last look at the house. He barely had time to wonder when he'd see it again when they were back. George had forgotten his box of Filibuster fireworks.**

Charlie and Bill looked at their mum in shock. "You actually went back for prank products?" Bill asked in disbelief.

"I didn't know that's what we were returning for until they got back in the car," Molly said giving the twins a disapproving look.

Filch was sending Fred and George dirty looks and muttering under his breath.

**Five minutes after that, they skidded to a halt in the yard so that Fred could run in for his broomstick.**

"How do you forget your broomstick?" Oliver asked scandalized.

"Really! That was always the first thing I packed," Charlie said.

**They had almost reached the highway when Ginny shrieked that she'd left her diary.**

Ginny winced. _'If only I hadn't gone back for it...'_ She trailed off and shook her head. _'It's in the past, I can't change what's already happened.'_

The trio exchanged looks, all three thinking about what would of happened if she hadn't gone back for the diary.

**By the time she had clambered back into the car, they were running very late, and tempers were running high.**

**Mr. Weasley glanced at his watch and then at his wife.**

" **Molly, dear —"**

" **No, Arthur —–"**

" **No one would see — this little button here is an Invisibility Booster I installed — that'd get us up in the air — then we fly above the clouds. We'd be there in ten minutes and no one would be any the wiser —"**

"I can't believe you even tried," Bill chuckled.

Arthur turned red as more people started laughing.

 _'I see now where Potter and Weasley got the idea.'_ Snape internally sneered.

" **I said no, Arthur, not in broad daylight —"**

**They reached King's Cross at a quarter to eleven. Mr. Weasley dashed across the road to get trolleys for their trunks and they all hurried into the station.**

**Harry had caught the Hogwarts Express the previous year. The tricky part was getting onto platform nine and three-quarters, which wasn't visible to the Muggle eye. What you had to do was walk through the solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. It didn't hurt, but it had to be done carefully so that none of the Muggles noticed you vanishing.**

"That's a good way of explaining it," Hermione told him.

"I didn't write this," Harry pointed out.

"But it's your thoughts," Hermione said.

" **Percy first," said Mrs. Weasley, looking nervously at the clock overhead, which showed they had only five minutes to disappear casually through the barrier.**

**Percy strode briskly forward and vanished. Mr. Weasley went next; Fred and George followed.**

" **I'll take Ginny and you two come right after us," Mrs. Weasley told Harry and Ron, grabbing Ginny's hand and setting off. In the blink of an eye they were gone.**

" **Let's go together, we've only got a minute," Ron said to Harry.**

**Harry made sure that Hedwig's cage was safely wedged on top of his trunk and wheeled his trolley around to face the barrier. He felt perfectly confident; this wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as using Floo powder. Both of them bent low over the handles of their trolleys and walked purposefully toward the barrier, gathering speed. A few feet away from it, they broke into a run and —**

**CRASH.**

"Crash?" Everyone who didn't know about them missing the train asked.

"Crash," Harry confirmed.

"But how?" Tonks asked looking puzzled.

"That doesn't make sense," Kingsley said. "You still had five minutes, it shouldn't of done that."

**Both trolleys hit the barrier and bounced backward; Ron's trunk fell off with a loud thump, Harry was knocked off his feet, and Hedwig's cage bounced onto the shiny floor,**

Many people winced.

**and she rolled away, shrieking indignantly; people all around them stared and a guard nearby yelled, "What in blazes d'you think you're doing?"**

"Instead of yelling at them, that person should've made sure they were alright," Molly said.

" **Lost control of the trolley," Harry gasped, clutching his ribs as he got up.**

"Were you injured?" Many people asked all at once.

Harry shook his head. "No it just made my stomach hurt."

**Ron ran to pick up Hedwig, who was causing such a scene that there was a lot of muttering about cruelty to animals from the surrounding crowd.**

"Poor Hedwig," Hagrid mumbled.

" **Why can't we get through?" Harry hissed to Ron.**

"That's something I'd like to know," Moody grunted.

"That's something we'd all like to know," Amelia said.

" **I dunno —"**

**Ron looked wildly around. A dozen curious people were still watching them.**

" **We're going to miss the train," Ron whispered. "I don't understand why the gateway's sealed itself —"**

**Harry looked up at the giant clock with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. Ten seconds… nine seconds…**

"You never wondered why they didn't come through the barrier?" Bill asked his mother incredulously.

Molly sighed. "I was so worried about Ginny getting on the train, I wasn't paying attention. I know I should've but..." She trailed off looking at Harry and Ron apologetically.

**He wheeled his trolley forward cautiously until it was right against the barrier and pushed with all his might. The metal remained solid.**

**Three seconds… two seconds… one second…**

" **It's gone," said Ron, sounding stunned. "The train's left.**

"We told you we missed the train," Ron said smugly.

The teachers all shot him part annoyed, part reprimanding and part exasperated looks.

"You still should've waited for your parents or sent an owl Mister Weasley," McGonagall said stiffly.

**What if Mum and Dad can't get back through to us? Have you got any Muggle money?"**

"You actually thought that his relatives would give him pocket money?" Hermione asked incredulously.

Ron turned red. "It just came out, we had to find someway to get to school."

**Harry gave a hollow laughed. "The Dursleys haven't given me pocket money for about six years."**

"They actually gave you money?" Dean asked looking shocked.

"They have a few times," Harry said with a shrug. "A fifty pence piece on occasion, but that was when I was younger."

**Ron pressed his ear to the cold barrier.**

" **Can't hear a thing," he said tensely,**

"Of course you can't," Draco sneered. "The noise is blocked by magic."

Ron shot Draco a dirty look.

**"What're we going to do? I don't know how long it'll take Mum and Dad to get back to us."**

"You should've waited for us," Molly said sternly.

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry said starting to lose patience. "This was three years ago, anything you tell us to do or not to do won't matter, because we've already done it. Everyone would do well to remember that, you'll all probably be reading stuff you won't be happy with, just remember we've already done it, and nothing anyone says will change that fact."

Everyone sat there just staring at him.

"What?" Harry snapped.

"Are you alright Harry?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"I'm fine," he said quickly. "Keep reading Nev."

**They looked around. People were still watching them, mainly because of Hedwig's continuing screeches.**

" **I think we'd better go and wait by the car," said Harry. "We're attracting too much atten —"**

" **Harry!" said Ron, his eyes gleaming. "The car!"**

"So it was your idea Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said severely.

"Wait," Charlie said, a grin beginning to spread. "You two flew to school didn't you?"

"Yes." The students said amused and the adults said annoyed.

"You've got to be kidding me," Remus said pinching the bridge of his nose.

" **What about it?"**

" **We can fly the car to Hogwarts!"**

"I can't believe you thought that was a good idea," Hermione said sternly.

"Not you too," Harry sighed. "You already lectured us about this, three years ago, please don't Hermione."

" **But I thought —"**

" **We're stuck, right? And we've got to get to school, haven't we? And even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it's a real emergency, section nineteen or something of the Restriction of Thingy —"**

"And just how Mr. Weasley, was this classified as an emergency?" McGonagall asked sternly.

"Well they were only twelve," Bill said. "And they were all alone in muggle London, and especially Harry's case, being who it is, it most likely wasn't safe."

McGonagall shot the oldest Weasley son a sharp look. "They should've sent an owl or waiting for Molly and Arthur to return."

Harry and Ron exchanged annoyed looks.

" **But your Mum and Dad…" said Harry, pushing against the barrier again in the vain hope that it would give way. "How will they get home?"**

" **They don't need the car!" said Ron impatiently. "They know how to Apparate! You know, just vanish and reappear at home! They only bother with Floo powder and the car because we're all underage and we're not allowed to Apparate yet…"**

"Did you not think about how worried they would be, when they came back to find their car gone?" Kingsley asked.

Harry and Ron both shook their heads.

"Of course not," Hermione said exasperated.

**Harry's feeling of panic turned suddenly to excitement.**

"Of course it did," Snape sneered.

"I'm sure any twelve year old boy would find it exciting," Tonks said.

"Yeah!" The male population of Hogwarts exclaimed.

"It would definitely be wicked!" Colin said excitedly.

**"Can you fly it?"**

" **No, problem," said Ron, wheeling his trolley around to face the exit. "C'mon, let's go. If we hurry we'll be able to follow the Hogwarts Express —"**

**And they marched off through the crowd of curious Muggles, out of the station and back onto the side road where the old Ford Anglia was parked.**

**Ron unlocked the cavernous trunk with a series of taps from his wand. They heaved their luggage back in, put Hedwig on the back seat, and got into the front.**

" **Check that no one's watching," said Ron, starting the ignition with another tap of his wand. Harry stuck his head out of the window: Traffic was rumbling along the main road ahead, but their street was empty.**

"The street may be empty but what about people watching from buildings?" Moody grunted.

"Oops," Ron said turning red.

"Ahhh..." Harry said looking sheepish.

" **Okay," he said.**

**Ron pressed a tiny silver button on the dashboard. The car around them vanished — and so did they.**

"That is so cool!" A first year Gryffindor squealed.

**Harry could feel the seat vibrating beneath him, hear the engine, feel his hands on his knees and his glasses on his nose, but for all he could see, he had become a pair of eyeballs, floating a few feet above the ground in a dingy street full of parked cars.**

"Was it weird flying in something you couldn't see?" Dean asked.

"Very weird," Harry said.

" **Let's go," said Ron's voice from his right.**

**And the ground and the dirty buildings on either side fell away, dropping out of sight as the car rose; in seconds, the whole of London lay, smoky and glittering, below them.**

**Then there was a popping noise and the car, Harry, and Ron reappeared.**

"That wasn't supposed to happen," Arthur said quietly to himself.

" **Uh-oh," said Ron, jabbing at the Invisibility Booster. "It's faulty —"**

**Both of them pummeled it. The car vanished. Then it flickered back again.**

"That's not good," Wayne Hopkins said.

" **Hold on!" Ron yelled, and he slammed his foot on the accelerator; they shot straight into the low, woolly clouds and everything turned dull and foggy.**

"How are you supposed to see where you're going?" Sally-Anne asked.

" **Now what?" said Harry, blinking at the solid mass of cloud pressing in on them from all sides.**

" **We need to see the train to know what direction to go in," said Ron.**

" **Dip back down again — quickly —"**

**They dropped back beneath the clouds and twisted around in their seats, squinting at the ground.**

" **I can see it!" Harry yelled. "Right ahead — there!"**

**The Hogwarts Express was streaking along below them like a scarlet snake.**

" **Due north," said Ron, checking the compass on the dashboard. "Okay, we'll just have to check on it every half hour or so — hold on —"**

"Do you not realize how far the train could've gone in a half hour?" McGonagall asked exasperated.

**And they shot up through the clouds. A minute later, they burst out into a blaze of sunlight.**

**It was a different world. The wheels of the car skimmed the sea of fluffy cloud, the sky a bright, endless blue under the blinding white sun.**

"That would be amazing," Romilda said wistfully.

" **All we've got to worry about now are airplanes," said Ron.**

Neville stopped reading to ask Ron, "How do you know about airplanes?"

"My dad," Ron said simply.

**They looked at each other and started to laugh; for a long time, they couldn't stop.**

"Boys." Many girls muttered.

**It was as though they had been plunged into a fabulous dream. This, thought Harry, was surely the only way to travel — past swirls and turrets of snowy cloud, in a car full of hot, bright sunlight, with a fat pack of toffees in the glove compartment, and the prospect of seeing Fred's and George's jealous faces when they landed smoothly and spectacularly on the sweeping lawn in front of Hogwarts castle.**

"Well it wasn't actually what I'd call a smooth landing," George said amused.

"But we were incredibly jealous," Fred admitted.

**They made regular checks on the train as they flew farther and farther north, each dip beneath the clouds showing them a different view. London was soon far behind them, replaced by neat green fields that gave way in turn to wide, purplish moors, a great city alive with cars like multicolored ants, villages with tiny toy churches.**

"It does sound quite lovely," Luna said dreamily.

**Several uneventful hours later, however, Harry had to admit that some of the fun was wearing off.**

"Some?" Harry snorted. "All of it had."

**The toffees had made them extremely thirsty and they had nothing to drink. He and Ron had pulled off their sweaters, but Harry's T-shirt was sticking to the back of his seat and his glasses kept sliding down to the end of his sweaty nose.**

"It was really hot up there," Ron said.

**He had stopped noticing the fantastic cloud shapes now and was thinking longingly of the train miles below, where you could buy ice-cold pumpkin juice from a trolley pushed by a plump witch.**

Ron perked up at the mention of food. "I'm hungry."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You're always hungry."

**Why hadn't they been able to get onto platform nine and three-quarters?**

"That's what I'd like to know." Many people said.

" **Can't be much further, can it?" croaked Ron, hours later still, as the sun started to sink into their floor of cloud, staining it a deep pink. "Ready for another check on the train?"**

**It was still right below them, winding its way past a snow-capped mountain. It was much darker beneath the canopy of clouds.**

**Ron put his foot on the accelerator and drove them upward again, but as he did so, the engine began to whine.**

"Uh oh." Many people said.

**Harry and Ron exchanged nervous glances.**

" **It's probably just tired," said Ron. "It's never been this far before…"**

**And they both pretended not to notice the whining growing louder and louder as the sky became steadily darker.**

**The adults shot them exasperated looks.**

"You pretended not to notice?" Bill said rubbing his temples. "You two should've landed."

**Stars were blossoming in the blackness. Harry pulled his sweater back on, trying to ignore the way the windshield wipers were now waving feebly, as though in protest.**

"Arthur, what did you do to that car?" Molly asked sternly.

"I don't know..." Arthur said trailing off at the look his wife sent him.

" **Not far," said Ron, more to the car than to Harry, "not far now," and he patted the dashboard nervously.**

"It's not a dog," Kevin Entwhistle said amused.

**When they flew back beneath the clouds a little while later, they had to squint through the darkness for a landmark they knew.**

" **There!" Harry shouted, making Ron and Hedwig jump. "Straight ahead!"**

**Silhouetted on the dark horizon, high on the cliff over the lake, stood the many turrets and towers of Hogwarts castle.**

"I'm surprised you guys actually made it here," Bill said.

**But the car had begun to shudder and was losing speed.**

" **Come on," Ron said cajolingly, giving the steering wheel a little shake, "nearly there, come on —"**

**The engine groaned. Narrow jets of steam were issuing from under the hood. Harry found himself gripping the edges of his seat very hard as they flew toward the lake.**

"Don't fall in the lake!" Hannah gasped.

The hall began to tense.

**The car gave a nasty wobble. Glancing out of his window, Harry saw the smooth, black, glassy surface of the water, a mile below. Ron's knuckles were white on the steering wheel. The car wobbled again.**

" **Come on," Ron muttered.**

**They were over the lake — the castle was right ahead — Ron put his foot down.**

**There was a loud clunk, a splutter, and the engine died completely.**

"No!" Mostly everyone shouted.

The first years looked fearful, and all of their friends kept glancing at them to make sure they were alright.

Harry had to refrain from rolling his eyes. _'Why can't everyone remember this was years ago?'_

" **Uh-oh," said Ron, into the silence.**

"That's all you have to say?" Hermione asked.

Ron shrugged nonchalantly. "It seemed appropriate."

Fred and George snorted.

**The nose of the car dropped. They were falling, gathering speed, heading straight for the solid castle wall.**

The room was tense, everyone was silent and leaning forward in their seats.

" **Noooooo!" Ron yelled, swinging the steering wheel around; they missed the dark stone wall by inches**

"Thank Merlin," Molly said gripping Arthur's arm.

"You two got lucky," McGonagall said sternly.

"Harry does seem to have a great amount of luck," Tracey whispered to Daphne.

"He may have a lot of luck, but it goes both ways," Daphne whispered back. "His good luck seems to always get him out of trouble, but his bad luck gets him into it in the first place."

**as the car turned in a great arc, soaring over the dark greenhouses, then the vegetable patch, and then out over the black lawns, losing altitude all the time.**

**Ron let go of the steering wheel completely and pulled his wand out of his back pocket —**

" **STOP! STOP!" he yelled, whacking the dashboard and the windshield, but they were still plummeting, the ground flying up toward them —**

"Yelling stop while hitting the dashboard with you wand won't work," Zacharias sneered. "You should've tried an actual spell."

"I'm sure at twelve you could've done so much better," Ron said snidely.

" **WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!" Harry bellowed, lunging for the steering wheel, but too late —**

"Tree?" Remus asked quickly. "What tree..." He trailed off and his eyes got wide. "Not the whomping willow? You two need to get out of there, quick!"

"Isn't that tree exceedingly violent?" Tonks asked slowly.

Harry winced, "Very."

"Great," Tonks groaned.

**CRUNCH.**

Most of the hall winced.

"This isn't going to be good," Justin said.

**With an ear-splitting bang of metal on wood, they hit the thick tree trunk and dropped to the ground with a heavy jolt. Steam was billowing from under the crumpled hood; Hedwig was shrieking in terror; a golf ball-size lump was throbbing on Harry's head where he had hit the windshield; and to his right, Ron let out a low, despairing groan.**

"How bad were you two hurt?" Molly asked quickly.

"We weren't." Harry and Ron were quick to say.

"The book says that you let out a groan," Arthur told his son.

"It wasn't a big deal," Ron said. "We didn't even have to go to the hospital wing."

Pomfrey tutted disaprovingly and shook her head, and Molly looked as if she was trying her hardest to stop from saying something.

" **Are you okay?" Harry said urgently.**

" **My wand," said Ron, in a shaky voice. "Look at my wand —"**

"So that's how you broke it," Seamus said.

Ron shot Seamus a look, still mad at Seamus for him thinking that Harry's a liar, Seamus saw it and quickly turned away.

**It had snapped, almost in two; the tip was dangling limply, held on by a few splinters.**

"Why didn't you write home and tell us you needed a new wand?" Arthur asked. "You led us to believe it didn't happen until the end of the year."

Ron said nothing, instead he just shrugged.

"Why didn't you write to us?" Molly asked McGonagall. "You should've informed us that he was using a broken wand, he couldn't of learned anything with it?"

McGonagall's lips thinned. "I had assumed Mr. Weasley had informed you."

Molly shot her youngest son a stern look.

**Harry opened his mouth to say he was sure they'd be able to mend it up at the school,**

"You can't fix a broken wand," Hermione said knowledgeably.

**but he never even got started.**

"What?" Leanne asked. "Why?"

**At that very moment, something hit his side of the car with the force of a charging bull, sending him lurching sideways into Ron, just as an equally heavy blow hit the roof.**

Many people winced and Snuffles whined, while Hermione grabbed Harry and Ron's hands.

Remus looked guilty. _'That tree is only there because of me.'_

" **What's happen —?"**

**Ron gasped, staring through the windshield, and Harry looked around just in time to see a branch as thick as a python smash into it.**

"Oh no," Susan said turning pale.

**The tree they had hit was attacking them. Its trunk was bent almost double, and its gnarled boughs were pummeling every inch of the car it could reach.**

"You two need to get out of there!" Alicia exclaimed.

" **Aaargh!" said Ron as another twisted limb punched a large dent into his door; the windshield was now trembling under a hail of blows from knuckle-like twigs and a branch as thick as a battering ram was pounding furiously on the roof, which seemed to be caving in.**

The Weasley's were staring at the book in horror.

"How did neither of you get hurt?" Bill asked while clutching Fleur's hand.

"Harry's luck," Ron muttered.

" **Run for it!" Ron shouted, throwing his full weight against his door, but next second he had been knocked backward into Harry's lap by a vicious uppercut from another branch.**

Molly was muttering under her breath while staring at her youngest son, and the boy who was like a son to her.

" **We're done for!" he moaned as the ceiling sagged, but suddenly the floor of the car was vibrating — the engine had restarted.**

The adults exchanged looks.

"What exactly did you do to that car?" Kingsley asked.

Everyone turned to look at a red Arthur who was staring at the book. "I really don't know."

" **Reverse!" Harry yelled, and the car shot backward; the tree was still trying to hit them; they could hear its roots creaking as it almost ripped itself up, lashing out at them as they sped out of reach.**

"I'm never going near that tree," Megan Jones said.

"Me either," Sally-Anne said.

**"That," panted Ron, "was close. Well done, car —"**

"It's alive," Charlie said in awe.

"Mr. Weasley created his very own Frankenstein," a second year Ravenclaw giggled. Those who understood the reference burst into laughter, those who didn't just looked confused.

**The car, however, had reached the end of its tether. With two sharp clunks, the doors flew open and Harry felt his seat tip sideways: Next thing he knew he was sprawled on the damp ground. Loud thuds told him that the car was ejecting their luggage from the trunk; Hedwig's cage flew through the air and burst open; she rose out of it with an angry screech and sped off toward the castle without a backward look. Then, dented, scratched, and steaming, the car rumbled off into the darkness, its rear lights blazing angrily.**

The hall once again burst into laughter.

"That car has a serious attitude problem," Lisa said giggling.

" **Come back!" Ron yelled after it, brandishing his broken wand. "Dad will kill me!"**

"I think mum's the one who's going to be doing the killing." Ginny said to Ron while staring at her red faced mother.

**But the car disappeared from view with one last snort from its exhaust.**

" **Can you believe our luck?"**

"You're lucky that you seem to have more good luck than bad," Ernie said.

**said Ron miserably, bending down to pick up Scabbers.**

**"Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to get one that hits back."**

Harry shrugged. "With my luck, it sounds about right."

"With your luck I hate to see what happens next," Dean said.

"Pixies," Harry said dryly. Those who heard about that lesson shuddered in memory, those who didn't just looked confused.

**He glanced over his shoulder at the ancient tree, which was still flailing its branches threateningly.**

**"Come on," said Harry wearily, "we'd better get up to the school…"**

**It wasn't at all the triumphant arrival they had pictured.**

"Maybe not, but it sure was brilliant." Fred said ignoring the stern looks from the adults.

**Stiff, cold, and bruised, they seized the ends of their trunks and began dragging them up the grassy slope, toward the great oak front doors.**

" **I think the feast's already started," said Ron, dropping his trunk at the foot of the front steps and crossing quietly to look through a brightly lit window. "Hey — Harry — come and look — it's the Sorting!"**

"In all the years I've been here, I've only seen three sortings," Harry mumbled.

**Harry hurried over and, together, he and Ron peered in at the Great Hall.**

**Innumerable candles were hovering in midair over four long, crowded tables, making the golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead, the bewitched ceiling, which always mirrored the sky outside, sparkled with stars.**

"I've always loved the ceiling," Luna said dreamily.

**Through the forest of pointed black Hogwarts hats, Harry saw a long line of scared-looking first years filing into the Hall. Ginny was among them, easily visible because of her vivid Weasley hair.**

"It's always easy to find a Weasley," Harry said.

**Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall, a bespectacled witch with her hair in a tight bun, was placing the famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers.**

**Every year, this aged old hat, patched, frayed, and dirty, sorted new students into the four Hogwarts houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin). Harry well remembered putting it on, exactly one year ago, and waiting, petrified, for its decision as it muttered aloud in his ear. For a few horrible seconds he had feared that the hat was going to put him in Slytherin,**

Snape inwardly shuddered at the reminder.

Many people were wondering if things would've turned out differently, had he been sorted into Slytherin instead.

**the house that had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other but he had ended up in Gryffindor, along with Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys.**

Fred and George cheered until they were silenced by the staffs' glares.

**Last term, Harry and Ron had helped Gryffindor win the House Championship, beating Slytherin for the first time in seven years.**

This time all of Gryffindor house cheered.

**A very small, mousy-haired boy had been called forward to place the hat on his head. Harry's eyes wandered past him to where Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, sat watching the Sorting from the staff table, his long silver beard and half-moon glasses shining brightly in the candlelight. Several seats along, Harry saw Gilderoy Lockhart, dressed in robes of aquamarine.**

"No self respecting man wears aquamarine," Michael said with a shudder.

**And there at the end was Hagrid, huge and hairy, drinking deeply from his goblet.**

" **Hang on…" Harry muttered to Ron. "There's an empty chair at the staff table… Where's Snape?"**

"You were looking for me Potter?" Snape asked mockingly.

"It's always good to know where your enemies are." Harry replied with a smirk causing many people to laugh and Snape to sneer.

"That's a good rule to live by Potter," Moody grunted while fixing both of his eyes on Snape. "It could save your life one day."

**Professor Severus Snape was Harry's least favorite teacher.**

"And here I was pining for you all summer," Snape said sarcasm dripping off every word.

**Harry also happened to be Snape's least favorite student. Cruel, sarcastic, and disliked by everybody except the students from his own house (Slytherin),**

Snape shot Harry a glare.

**Snape taught Potions.**

" **Maybe he's ill!" said Ron hopefully.**

"Ronald, that's a horrible thing to wish on someone, no matter how you feel about them." Molly scolded.

" **Maybe he's left," said Harry, "because he missed out on the Defense Against Dark Arts job again!"**

"As much as I hate to admit it," Harry said grudgingly. "Snape would've done a much better job than Lockhart did."

Many people looked surprised at his words.

"Was he really that bad?" Tonks asked, knowing how much Harry and Snape don't get along."

"Yes." Everyone who had him for a teacher said.

" **Or he might have been sacked!" said Ron enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him —"**

"He's right behind you isn't he," Charlie said amused.

" **Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind them, "he's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train."**

"That would've been awkward," Lily Moon said.

**Harry spun around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze, stood Severus Snape. He was a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair, and at this moment, he was smiling in a way that told Harry he and Ron were in very deep trouble.**

"Of all the teachers to find you..." Bill said trailing off with a sigh.

" **Follow me," said Snape.**

**Not daring even to look at each other, Harry and Ron followed Snape up the steps into the vast, echoing entrance hall, which was lit with flaming torches. A delicious smell of food was wafting from the Great Hall, but Snape led them away from the warmth and light, down a narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons.**

"Not being able to go to the feast was punishment enough." Ron said seriously causing all the students to laugh.

" **In!" he said, opening a door halfway down the cold passageway and pointing.**

**They entered Snape's office, shivering. The shadowy walls were lined with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of revolting things Harry didn't really want to know the name of at the moment.**

"I actually never want to know the names of any of them," Harry muttered.

**The fireplace was dark and empty. Snape closed the door and turned to look at them.**

" **So," he said softly, "the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter and his faithful sidekick Weasley.**

"He's my best friend, not my sidekick," Harry snapped.

"Thanks mate." Ron muttered with a small smile, he's glad his best friends defending him.

**Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we, boys?"**

Harry and Ron rolled their eyes.

**"No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it —"**

**"Silence!" said Snape coldly.**

"You should've let them explain," Remus said.

Snape turned to Remus and gave him a cold look.

**"What have you done with the car?" Ron gulped. This wasn't the first time Snape had given Harry the impression of being able to read minds.**

Snape smirked.

**But a moment later, he understood, as Snape unrolled today's issue of the Evening Prophet. "You were seen," he hissed,**

"That's not good," Mandy said.

"That's really not good," Lisa told her.

**showing them the headline: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. He began to read aloud: "Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower… at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing… Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police… Six or seven Muggles in all.**

"How were the two of you not expelled?" Tonks asked. "I don't want you guys to be." She added quickly when she was shot many glares. "It's just, they were seen by a lot of people flying a car."

"I was able to clear everything up," Dumbledore said. "After all, they were only twelve years old, yes they knew better, but everyone makes mistakes."

**I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?" he said, looking up at Ron and smiling still more nastily. "Dear, dear… his own son…"**

The Weasley's all glared at Snape who sneered in return.

**Harry felt as though he'd just been walloped in the stomach by one of the mad tree's larger branches. If anyone found out Mr. Weasley had bewitched the car… he hadn't thought of that…**

"It definitely go down well at work" Arthur sighed before seeing the ashamed look on the two boys' faces. "But I'm the one that enchanted the car, and I'm an adults who knows better. Yes, you shouldn't of taken it, but you wouldn't of been able to if I hadn't enchanted it in the first place."

" **I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow," Snape went on.**

"You hate that tree," Remus told him quietly.

Snape scowled at him but said nothing.

" **That tree did more damage to us than we —" Ron blurted out.**

"That will just make him angrier," Theodore Nott said.

" **Silence!" snapped Snape again. "Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here."**

"Happy power?" Fred snorted, ignoring Snape's glare.

**Harry and Ron stared at each other, white-faced. Harry didn't feel hungry any more. He now felt extremely sick. He tried not to look at a large, slimy something suspended in green liquid on a shelf behind Snape's desk.**

"Ew," Lavender said.

**If Snape had gone to fetch Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, they were hardly any better off. She might be fairer than Snape, but she was still extremely strict.**

"Not that any of my warning are actually taken seriously by the three of you," McGonagall's said, lips thinned. "The twins listen better than you three."

Fred and George looked scandalized while the trio exchanged amused looks.

"We need to pull more pranks Gred."

"I agree Forge."

The teachers exchanged horrified looks while Filch muttered under his breath about horrible trouble makers. Molly and Arthur both sent the twins stern looks.

**Ten minutes later, Snape returned, and sure enough it was Professor McGonagall who accompanied him. Harry had seen Professor McGonagall angry on several occasions, but either he had forgotten just how thin her mouth could go, or he had never seen her this angry before.**

**She raised her wand the moment she entered; Harry and Ron both flinched, but she merely pointed it at the empty fireplace, where flames suddenly erupted.**

"You honestly thought I'd curse you?" McGonagall asked horrified at the thought.

Harry and Ron both shrugged.

"We didn't know how mad you were," Harry said.

"It doesn't matter how mad I am, I would never use my wand on a student!" McGonagall exclaimed.

" **Sit," she said, and they both backed into chairs by the fire.**

" **Explain," she said, her glasses glinting ominously.**

**Ron launched into the story, starting with the barrier at the station refusing to let them through.**

"— **so we had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train."**

" **Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe you have an owl?" Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry.**

**Harry gaped at her. Now she said it, that seemed the obvious thing to have done.**

" **I — I didn't think —"**

"That's right," McGonagall said. "You didn't."

**"That," said Professor McGonagall, "is obvious."**

"Nice use of sarcasm," Charlie chuckled.

**There was a knock on the office door and Snape, now looking happier than ever, opened it.**

"It's never good when he looks happy." George said with an overdramatic shudder causing everyone to laugh and Snape to shoot him a glare.

**There stood the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. Harry's whole body went numb. Dumbledore was looking unusually grave. He stared down his very crooked nose at them, and Harry suddenly found himself wishing he and Ron were still being beaten up by the Whomping Willow.**

"It's always better to be yelled at than to be considered a disappointment," Harry muttered.

**There was a long silence. Then Dumbledore said, "Please explain why you did this."** **It would have been better if he had shouted.**

_'I always hated it when he did that.'_ Sirius thought.

"Do you ever yell sir?" Tonks asked.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in amusement. "Rarely."

**Harry hated the disappointment in his voice. For some reason, he was unable to look Dumbledore in the eyes, and spoke instead to his knees. He told Dumbledore everything except that Mr. Weasley owned the bewitched car, making it sound as though he and Ron had happened to find a flying car parked outside the station.**

"You really are such a sweet boy," Molly said kindly.

**He knew Dumbledore would see through this at once, but Dumbledore asked no questions about the car. When Harry had finished, he merely continued to peer at them through his spectacles.**

" **We'll go and get our stuff," said Ron in a hopeless sort of voice.**

" **What are you talking about, Weasley?" barked Professor McGonagall.**

" **Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?" said Ron.**

Fred and George groaned.

"Honestly Ron, you're almost as bad as little Harrikins," Fred sighed.

"You never ask for a punishment," George said shaking his head."

**Harry looked quickly at Dumbledore.**

" **Not today, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore. "But I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to both your families tonight. I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."**

"Yeah right," Draco sneered before muttering under his breath. "Saint Potter could get away with murder."

**Snape looked as though Christmas had been cancelled.**

Many glares were shot at the potions professor who just glared at everyone.

**He cleared his throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree — surely acts of this nature —"**

"What a prat," Charlie said ignoring his mother's disapproving look.

" **It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these boys' punishments, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "They are in her House and are therefore her responsibility."**

"It's a good thing neither of you are in Slytherin," Stewart Ackerley said.

**He turned to Professor McGonagall. "I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I've got to give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there's a delicious-looking custard tart I want to sample —"**

"That was mean that was, talking about pudding when we hadn't eaten," Ron sighed thinking about all of the sweets he could've had.

**Snape shot a look of pure venom at Harry and Ron as he allowed himself to be swept out of his office, leaving them alone with Professor McGonagall, who was still eyeing them like a wrathful eagle.**

" **You'd better get along to the hospital wing, Weasley, you're bleeding."**

"Bleeding?" Molly asked quickly. "I thought you said you two weren't hurt."

Ron rolled his eyes. "It was just a little cut."

" **Not much," said Ron, hastily wiping the cut over his eye with his sleeve. "Professor, I wanted to watch my sister being Sorted —**

" **The Sorting Ceremony is over," said Professor McGonagall. "Your sister is also in Gryffindor."**

" **Oh, good," said Ron.**

"What house did you think I'd be in?" Ginny asked raising her eyebrows.

"Gryffindor of course," Ron said turning red. "I was just glad to know for sure."

" **And speaking of Gryffindor —" Professor McGonagall said sharply, but Harry cut in: "Professor, when we took the car, term hadn't started, so — so Gryffindor shouldn't really have points taken from it — should it?" he finished, watching her anxiously.**

Most of the hall felt their jaws drop.

"You actually said that to her?" Dean asked in awe.

"That's brilliant!" Fred and George exclaimed together.

"You've been spending too much time with the twins," Charlie said laughing.

**Professor McGonagall gave him a piercing look, but he was sure she had almost smiled. Her mouth looked less thin, anyway.**

" **I will not take any points from Gryffindor," she said, and Harry's heart lightened considerably. "But you will both get a detention."**

"I can't believe that actually worked!" Bill exclaimed.

"All you two got was a detention?" Tonks asked incredulously.

"It better not be in the forest this time," Remus said shooting McGonagall a disappointed look.

"No," Harry said. "It was worse, much worse."

Many people looked alarmed.

"What do you mean by that?" Several people asked quickly.

"You'll see," Harry told them.

**It was better than Harry had expected. As for Dumbledore's writing to the Dursleys, that was nothing. Harry knew perfectly well they'd just be disappointed that the Whomping Willow hadn't squashed him flat.**

Many glares were sent at the book at the mention of the Dursley's.

**Professor McGonagall raised her wand again and pointed it at Snape's desk. A large plate of sandwiches, two silver goblets, and a jug of iced pumpkin juice appeared with a pop.**

" **You will eat in here and then go straight up to your dormitory," she said. "I must also return to the feast."**

**When the door had closed behind her, Ron let out a long, low whistle.**

" **I thought we'd had it," he said, grabbing a sandwich.**

"You two are very lucky you weren't expelled," Bill said seriously.

"We know." Both boys said together.

" **So did I," said Harry, taking one, too.**

" **Can you believe our luck, though?" said Ron thickly through a mouthful of chicken and ham. "Fred and George must've flown that car five or six times and no Muggle ever saw them."**

"Excuse me?" Molly asked sternly.

Umbridge smiled widely and began writing on her clipboard. _'With some luck maybe I can get the whole Weasley family sent to Azkaban.'_

**He swallowed and took another huge bite. "Why couldn't we get through the barrier?"**

"I think that's something we all want to know," Anthony said.

"It could've been the house elf," Daphne whispered to Tracey.

"You think he closed the barrier?" Tracey asked just as quiet.

"It's definitely a possibility," Daphne told her.

**Harry shrugged. "We'll have to watch our step from now on, though," he said, taking a grateful swig of pumpkin juice. "Wish we could've gone up to the feast…"**

" **She didn't want us showing off," said Ron sagely. "Doesn't want people to think it's clever, arriving by flying car."**

 _'I'm surprised he was perceptive enough to figure that out.'_ Snape thought inwardly sneering.

"Your assumption is correct Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said.

**When they had eaten as many sandwiches as they could (the plate kept refilling itself) they rose and left the office, treading the familiar path to Gryffindor Tower. The castle was quiet; it seemed that the feast was over. They walked past muttering portraits and creaking suits of armor, and climbed narrow flights of stone stairs, until at last they reached the passage where the secret entrance to Gryffindor Tower was hidden, behind an oil painting of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.**

" **Password?" she said as they approached.**

" **Er —" said Harry.**

"You didn't tell them the password," Remus said with a sigh.

McGonagall sighed. "I must have forgotten."

**They didn't know the new year's password, not having met a Gryffindor prefect yet, but help came almost immediately; they heard hurrying feet behind them and turned to see Hermione dashing toward them.**

"Of course I was running, I'd been looking all over for you two," Hermione said exasperated. "When I couldn't find you on the train I was freaking out, and then I heard all these stories that you guys had been expelled. I was so worried."

Harry and Ron both hugged her. "We're sorry Hermione, we'll try not to worry you like that again," Harry said.

"Somehow I doubt that," Hermione said half amused, half annoyed.

" **There you are! Where have you been? The most ridiculous rumors — someone said you'd been expelled for crashing a flying car!"**

"Well they weren't expelled," Fred said cheekily.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but a small smile was tugging at the corner of her lips.

" **Well, we haven't been expelled," Harry assured her.**

" **You're not telling me you did fly here?" said Hermione, sounding almost as severe as Professor McGonagall.**

" **Skip the lecture," said Ron impatiently, "and tell us the new password."**

**"It's 'wattlebird,'" said Hermione impatiently, "but that's not the point —"**

"Bad move," Ginny said shaking her head. "You lecture first and then you give them the password. Otherwise they won't stick around for the yelling."

**Her words were cut short, however, as the portrait of the fat lady swung open and there was a sudden storm of clapping.**

Snape sneered. _'Only in Gryffindor would stupidity be rewarded.'_

**It looked as though the whole of Gryffindor House was still awake, packed into the circular common room, standing on the lopsided tables and squashy armchairs, waiting for them to arrive. Arms reached through the portrait hole to pull Harry and Ron inside, leaving Hermione to scramble in after them.**

" **Brilliant!" yelled Lee Jordan. "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car right into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about that one for years —"**

"They still do actually," Demelza said.

"Yeah," Romilda confirmed. "It's a story they tell to the first years."

"Great," Harry mumbled.

" **Good for you," said a fifth year Harry had never spoken to; someone was patting him on the back as though he'd just won a marathon; Fred and George pushed their way to the front of the crowd and said together, "Why couldn't we've come in the car, eh?"**

The adults all exchanged exasperated looks.

"You all really shouldn't be encouraging them," McGonagall said stiffly.

**Ron was scarlet in the face, grinning embarrassedly, but Harry could see one person who didn't look happy at all. Percy was visible over the heads of some excited first years, and he seemed to be trying to get near enough to start telling them off. Harry nudged Ron in the ribs and nodded in Percy's direction. Ron got the point at once.**

"We did wonder why you took off so fast." Fred said.

"Yeah, we would've stayed up all night celebrating had it been us," George said motioning to him and his twin."

"Though we don't blame you for running," Fred assured them.

"Percy can really ruin the mood," George said.

Percy shot his brothers stern looks. _'There's nothing wrong with being responsible. Why am I the only one in my family to see that?'_

" **Got to get upstairs — bit tired," he said, and the two of them started pushing their way toward the door on the other side of the room, which led to a spiral staircase and the dormitories.**

"' **Night," Harry called back to Hermione, who was wearing a scowl just like Percy's.**

"Don't compare our precious Hermione to that git," Fred said seriously.

**They managed to get to the other side of the common room, still having their backs slapped, and gained the peace of the staircase. They hurried up it, right to the top, and at last reached the door of their old dormitory, which now had a sign on it saying SECOND YEARS. They entered the familiar, circular room, with its five four-posters hung with red velvet and its high, narrow windows. Their trunks had been brought up for them and stood at the ends of their beds.**

**Ron grinned guiltily at Harry.**

"Boys." Many of the girls sighed.

" **I know I shouldn't have enjoyed that or anything, but…"**

**The dormitory door flew open and in came the other second year Gryffindor boys, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom.**

" **Unbelievable!" beamed Seamus.**

" **Cool," said Dean.**

" **Amazing," said Neville, awestruck.**

The teachers shot Neville, Dean and Seamus stern looks. They were of course ignored.

**Harry couldn't help it. He grinned, too.**

"Of course you did," Remus said pinching the bridge of his nose.

Neville closed the book and marked the page. "I'm done with this chapter."

"I'll read next," Dean said reaching out to grab the book.


	6. Gilderoy Lockhart

Dean looked at the chapter title and scrunched his nose in disgust. **"Gilderoy Lockhart."**

Most of the hall groaned.

"That git gets his own chapter?" Zacharias sneered.

Harry was tempted to roll his eyes, but unfortunately he for once agrees with the arrogant Hufflepuff.

**The next day, however, Harry barely grinned once.**

"Please tell me something bad isn't already happening," Tonks groaned.

**Things started to go downhill from breakfast in the Great Hall. The four long house tables were laden with tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon,**

"That sounds so good," Ron moaned.

"Honestly Ronald we just ate breakfast not too long ago," Hermione said exasperated.

"Food does sound good," Charlie said.

"Weasley men's stomachs are really just bottomless pits," Ginny said giggling.

**beneath the enchanted ceiling (today, a dull, cloudy gray). Harry and Ron sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione, who had her copy of Voyages with Vampires propped open against a milk jug.**

"You actually read that garbage?" Andrew Kirke asked wrinkling his nose.

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "It was the assigned reading."

"Not to mention you fancied the git." Ron muttered to Harry who laughed causing Hermione to glare at them both.

"What?" Harry asked innocently.

"Don't give me that look Harry James Potter," Hermione said sternly. "I know you two are whispering about something."

Ron and Harry exchanged amused looks causing Hermione's glare to intensify and those around them to laugh.

**There was a slight stiffness in the way she said "Morning," which told Harry that she was still disapproving of the way they had arrived.**

"As if I would get over it that quickly," Hermione huffed. "You two could of been seriously injured."

**Neville Longbottom, on the other hand, greeted them cheerfully. Neville was a round-faced and accident-prone boy with the worst memory of anyone Harry had ever met.**

"Sorry Nev," Harry said rubbing his neck.

Neville shrugged and chuckled. "It's alright, I know it's true."

" **Mail's due any minute — I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot."**

**Harry had only just started his porridge when, sure enough, there was a rushing sound overhead and a hundred or so owls streamed in, circling the hall and dropping letters and packages into the chattering crowd. A big, lumpy package bounced off Neville's head and, a second later, something large and gray fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers.**

Fred and George snorted.

"Isn't he just the most graceful bird?" George asked cheekily.

" **Errol!" said Ron, pulling the bedraggled owl out by the feet. Errol slumped, Unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a damp red envelope in his beak.**

The great hall winced as one.

"You got a howler?" Bill asked chuckling. "Those are never good."

" **Oh, no —" Ron gasped.**

" **It's all right, he's still alive," said Hermione, prodding Errol gently with the tip of her finger.**

"I don't think Ron's talking about the owl," Charlie said in amusement.

**"It's not that — it's that."**

**Ron was pointing at the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary to Harry, but Ron and Neville were both looking at it as though they expected it to explode.**

"That's because it will," Ernie said.

"I didn't know that at the time," Harry told him. "But I do now."

" **What's the matter?" said Harry.**

" **She's — she's sent me a Howler," said Ron faintly.**

" **You'd better open it, Ron," said Neville in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you don't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and" — he gulped —"it was horrible."**

"I don't remember you getting a howler?" Hermione said looking thoughtful.

Neville shook his head. "It didn't get sent to school, it was sent when I was staying with my Uncle Algie."

"What happened?" Ron asked.

"Later," Neville said quickly.

**Harry looked from their petrified faces to the red envelope.**

" **What's a Howler?" he said.**

"Wait," Tonks said. "How did you not know what a howler was? Didn't anyone get one during your first year."

Harry shook his head. "Not that I saw."

"My mom won't send me one," Terry said. "She says they're too disruptive."

"Mine thinks they just give people a reason to tease you," Lily Moon said.

"Most parents don't send them nowadays," McGonagall said. "Mostly for the two reasons that were just stated."

Molly turned red.

**But Ron's whole attention was fixed on the letter, which had begun to smoke at the corners.**

" **Open it," Neville urged. "It'll all be over in a few minutes —"**

**Ron stretched out a shaking hand, eased the envelope from Errol's beak, and slit it open. Neville stuffed his fingers in his ears. A split second later, Harry knew why. He thought for a moment it had exploded; a roar of sound filled the huge hall, shaking dust from the ceiling.**

"Wow," Kingsley said. "That's pretty impressive."

"She's improved a lot from when you used to get them Charlie," Tonks said brightly causing Charlie to turn red.

"Half of those were your fault," Charlie muttered amongst the laughter.

"— **STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU,**

"What did happen?" Dean paused reading to ask.

"She forgot," Ron said quietly.

Bill and Charlie exchanged shocked looks. "Mum forgot?" Charlie asked incredulously.

"The next time I saw her, she was so worried about Ginny that she forgot," Ron said.

**I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE —"**

**Mrs. Weasleys yells, a hundred times louder than usual,**

Charlie and Bill winced.

**made the plates and spoons rattle on the table, and echoed deafeningly off the stone walls. People throughout the hall were swiveling around to see who had received the Howler, and Ron sank so low in his chair that only his crimson forehead could be seen.**

"That was so embarrassing," Ron groaned.

"You should've thought about that before the car then shouldn't you?" Molly said sternly.

"— **LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED —"**

**Harry had been wondering when his name was going to crop up. He tried very hard to look as though he couldn't hear the voice that was making his eardrums throb.**

"Sorry to tell you mate, but it didn't work," Fred said obviously amused.

"The guilty look on your face was priceless," George chuckled.

"— **ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED — YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."**

"Good thing she never found out what all we got up to that year," Harry muttered to Ron.

**A ringing silence fell. The red envelope, which had dropped from Ron's hand, burst into flames and curled into ashes. Harry and Ron sat stunned, as though a tidal wave had just passed over them. A few people laughed and, gradually, a babble of talk broke out again.**

**Hermione closed Voyages with Vampires and looked down at the top of Ron's head.**

" **Well, I don't know what you expected, Ron, but you —"**

"Seriously Hermione?" Ginny asked. "Mum just yelled at them, you don't need to as well."

Hermione turned red and looked away.

" **Don't tell me I deserved it," snapped Ron.**

**Harry pushed his porridge away. His insides were burning with guilt. Mr. Weasley was facing an inquiry at work. After all Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had done for him over the summer…**

"It seems like the letter worked better on Harry than it did on Ron," Bill told his mother.

"At least one of them listened," Molly said with pursed lips.

**But he had no time to dwell on this; Professor McGonagall was moving along the Gryffindor table, handing out course schedules. Harry took his and saw that they had double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs first.**

"I love Herbology," Neville said happily.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the castle together, crossed the vegetable patch, and made for the greenhouses, where the magical plants were kept. At least the Howler had done one good thing:**

"Something good actually came out of that?" Jimmy Peaks asked.

**Hermione seemed to think they had now been punished enough and was being perfectly friendly again.**

Hermione shot both boys glares. "You did deserve it."

Harry and Ron both rolled their eyes.

"Oh come on," Ginny said exasperated. "You break just as many rules as they do."

Hermione said nothing and Fred and George high-fived their little sister.

**As they neared the greenhouses they saw the rest of the class standing outside, waiting for Professor Sprout. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had only just joined them when she came striding into view across the lawn, accompanied by Gilderoy Lockhart. Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages, and with another twinge of guilt, Harry spotted the Whomping Willow in the distance, several of its branches now in slings.**

"I would feel sorry for the tree if it hadn't tried to kill us," Harry said dryly.

"You two are very lucky that it wasn't you boys in slings," Pomfrey said seriously.

**Professor Sprout was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair; there was usually a large amount of earth on her clothes and her fingernails would have made Aunt Petunia faint.**

"I always did like Professor Sprout," Fred said.

"Do you think you can make a house call Professor?" George asked with an innocent smile.

Many people chuckled, including Professor Sprout.

"I don't think so boys," Sprout said amused.

"Ah man." Fred and George sighed over dramatically.

Umbridge was glaring at everything she looked at. _'No wonder the students behave like a bunch of hoodlums, the teachers play along with their horrid behavior.'_

**Gilderoy Lockhart, however, was immaculate in sweeping robes of turquoise, his golden hair shining under a perfectly positioned turquoise hat with gold trimming.**

Many of the boys wrinkled their noses, or in the case of the Weasley twins, pretended to gag.

"What self-respecting man wears turquoise?" Cormac sneered.

" **Oh, hello there!" he called, beaming around at the assembled students. "Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow!**

"Like he would know better than a Herbology master," Neville said.

"I'm surprised you didn't leave him for the willow to play with," Tonks said with a twisted grin.

"Auror Tonks!" Umbridge yelled scandalized.

"What?" Tonks asked sweetly causing everyone to laugh.

"Would've saved Ron and I a bit of trouble," Harry muttered.

**But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is! I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels…"**

Harry snorted. "Exotic travels my-" He was cut off by a smack to the arm. "Ow Mione what was that for?"

"Language!" She snapped.

Harry rolled his eyes and rubbed his arm while Ron and the twins snickered.

" **Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout, who was looking distinctly disgruntled, not at all her usual cheerful self.**

"That shows just how bad he is when he's able to get on Professor Sprouts nerves," Hannah said.

**There was a murmur of interest. They had only ever worked in greenhouse one before — greenhouse three housed far more interesting and dangerous plants. Professor Sprout took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. Harry caught a whiff of damp earth and fertilizer mingling with the heavy perfume of some giant, umbrella-sized flowers dangling from the ceiling. He was about to follow Ron and Hermione inside when Lockhart's hand shot out.**

"What does that idiot want?" Euan asked.

" **Harry! I've been wanting a word — you don't mind if he's a couple of minutes late, do you, Professor Sprout?"**

"Of course she minds," McGonagall said sternly. "Mr. Potter needs to be in class."

**Judging by Professor Sprout's scowl, she did mind, but Lockhart said, "That's the ticket," and closed the greenhouse door in her face.**

"How rude!" Flitwick squeaked.

" **Harry," said Lockhart, his large white teeth gleaming in the sunlight as he shook his head. "Harry, Harry, Harry."**

"Well at least we all know that he knows your name," Neville said dryly.

**Completely nonplussed, Harry said nothing.**

" **When I heard — well, of course, it was all my fault. Could have kicked myself."**

"What's he going on about?" Anthony asked.

"You'll see." Was all Harry said.

**Harry had no idea what he was talking about. He was about to say so when Lockhart went on, "Don't know when I've been more shocked. Flying a car to Hogwarts! Well, of course, I knew at once why you'd done it. Stood out a mile. Harry, Harry, Harry."**

Harry rolled his eyes.

**It was remarkable how he could show every one of those brilliant teeth even when he wasn't talking.**

"Nice teeth is about the only good thing he had going for him," Ron muttered.

" **Gave you a taste for publicity, didn't I?" said Lockhart. "Gave you the bug. You got onto the front page of the paper with me and you couldn't wait to do it again."**

Many people snorted.

"Is this guys for real?" Charlie asked. "It's obvious you don't like your fame."

Snape and the Slytherins had to admit Charlie did have a point, reading these books is making it obvious he doesn't like his fame.

" **Oh, no, Professor, see —"**

" **Harry, Harry, Harry,"**

"I bet him saying your name over and over again was really annoying," Tracey said.

"You have no idea," Harry said with a sigh.

**said Lockhart, reaching out and grasping his shoulder. "I understand. Natural to want a bit more once you've had that first taste — and I blame myself for giving you that, because it was bound to go to your head**

By now most of the hall was staring at the book in disbelief.

— **but see here, young man, you can't start flying cars to try and get yourself noticed. Just calm down, all right? Plenty of time for all that when you're older. Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking! 'It's all right for him, he's an internationally famous wizard already!' But when I was twelve, I was just as much of a nobody as you are now.**

Everyone was gaping at the book.

"Harry was more famous when he was one than Lockhart ever was," Neville said.

"He's just using Harry to build up his own fame," Daphne said.

**In fact, I'd say I was even more of a nobody! I mean, a few people have heard of you, haven't they?**

"A few people?" Justin asked incredulously. "Try the whole wizarding world, I'm a muggleborn and I know his story."

Harry had to stop himself from rolling his eyes, nobody knows the real story, they all know the ministries story.

**All that business with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" He glanced at the lightning scar on Harry's forehead. "I know, I know — it's not quite as good as winning Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award five times in a row, as I have — but it's a start, Harry, it's a start."**

"Is he saying that winning an award for his bloody smile is better than defeating the darkest wizard in Britain's history?" Bill asked disbelievingly.

**He gave Harry a hearty wink and strode off.**

Remus was glaring at the book. "I don't like that man."

Snuffles barked in what Harry thinks is agreement.

**Harry stood stunned for a few seconds, then, remembering he was supposed to be in the greenhouse, he opened the door and slid inside.**

**Professor Sprout was standing behind a trestle bench in the center of the greenhouse. About twenty pairs of different-colored ear muffs were lying on the bench. When Harry had taken his place between Ron and Hermione, she said, "We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?"**

"I hate mandrakes, they're disgusting little things." Tonks scrunched up her nose. "And they never want to go in the pots."

"It's actually a good thing we had a batch of healthy mandrakes that year," Sprout said. "We couldn't of made the potions we needed if we didn't."

**To nobody's surprise, Hermione's hand was first into the air.**

" **Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook.**

Hermione blushed as several people snickered.

" **It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."**

" **Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?"**

**Hermione's hand narrowly missed Harry's glasses as it shot up again.**

"Harry, Harry, Harry," Fred said sternly.

"You should know by now to never sit too close to Hermione when there is a chance questions might be asked," George said grinning.

"You know Hermione, you probably should've let someone else answer that question," Remus told her kindly.

Hermione turned red and nodded.

" **The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," she said promptly.**

" **Precisely. Take another ten points," said Professor Sprout. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young."**

**She pointed to a row of deep trays as she spoke, and everyone shuffled forward for a better look. A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in color, were growing there in rows. They looked quite unremarkable to Harry, who didn't have the slightest idea what Hermione meant by the "cry" of the Mandrake.**

" **Everyone take a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout.**

**There was a scramble as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy.**

"I always liked the pink fluffy ones," Tonks said while turning her purple hair bright pink.

"How'd you do that?" A first year Hufflepuff asked in awe.

"I'm an metamorphagus," Tonks stated proudly.

"Wicked." Many people said.

" **When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered," said Professor Sprout. "When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right — earmuffs on."**

**Harry snapped the earmuffs over his ears. They shut out sound completely. Professor Sprout put the pink, fluffy pair over her own ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, grasped one of the tufty plants firmly, and pulled hard.**

**Harry let out a gasp of surprise that no one could hear.**

Harry was sent several amused looks.

"Like none of you were surprised by what you saw, especially if you'd never heard of them before," Harry said rolling his eyes.

**Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs.**

Those who had never seen a mandrake looked disgusted.

"That's nasty!" A first year Gryffindor squealed.

**Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. Professor Sprout dusted off her hands, gave them all the thumbs-up, and removed her own earmuffs.**

" **As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet," she said calmly as though she'd just done nothing more exciting than water a begonia.**

"For me it is," Sprout chuckled.

" **However, they will knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back,**

"Who wouldn't?" Fred asked as though to think otherwise meant you were crazy.

"Yeah," George said. "I would've enjoyed spending my first day of school having a lovely nap."

Both boys were sent a stern glare from their professors and parents.

**make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up.**

" **Four to a tray — there is a large supply of pots here — compost in the sacks over there — and be careful of the Venomous Tentacula, it's teething."**

"I got bit once," Neville said.

"Did it hurt?" Parvarti asked.

Hermione shot her an exasperated look.

"Yeah," Neville said with a wince.

**She gave a sharp slap to a spiky, dark red plant as she spoke, making it draw in the long feelers that had been inching sneakily over her shoulder.**

Several students chuckled.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione were joined at their tray by a curly-haired Hufflepuff boy Harry knew by sight but had never spoken to.**

" **Justin Finch-Fletchley," he said brightly, shaking Harry by the hand. "Know who you are, of course, the famous Harry Potter… And you're Hermione Granger — always top in everything" (Hermione beamed as she had her hand shaken too) "— and Ron Weasley. Wasn't that your flying car?"**

"Something tells me Ron isn't going to appreciate hearing about the car so soon after the howler," Charlie said.

"I didn't," Ron muttered.

**Ron didn't smile. The Howler was obviously still on his mind.**

"Sorry about that," Justin said sheepishly.

" **That Lockhart's something, isn't he?" said Justin happily as they began filling their plant pots with dragon dung compost. "Awfully brave chap. Have you read his books? I'd have died of fear if Id been cornered in a telephone booth by a werewolf, but he stayed cool and — zap — just fantastic.**

Remus looked at the book in disbelief. "Zap? Is that seriously what he taught the students? He's going to get someone killed if people actually listen to him, what was that man thinking. I see now why the classes were so far behind when I taught here, if that's the kind of defense professor they had."

Harry stared at Remus for a moment, he'd never seen the man rant like that before.

Umbridge sneered. _'I'm sure Lockhart was a better teacher than the half-breed.'_

" **My name was down for Eton, you know. I can't tell you how glad I am I came here instead. Of course, Mother was slightly disappointed, but since I made her read Lockhart's books I think she's begun to see how useful it'll be to have a fully trained wizard in the family…"**

"Lockhart isn't what I'd call a fully trained wizard." Seamus muttered quietly, he doesn't want to talk to loud and risk getting glared at by the Weasley's and Hermione.

**After that they didn't have much chance to talk. Their earmuffs were back on and they needed to concentrate on the Mandrakes. Professor Sprout had made it look extremely easy, but it wasn't. The Mandrakes didn't like coming out of the earth, but didn't seem to want to go back into it either.**

"Annoying little buggers they are," Marcus Belby said.

**They squirmed, kicked, flailed their sharp little fists, and gnashed their teeth; Harry spent ten whole minutes trying to squash a particularly fat one into a pot.**

Harry smirked. "He reminded me of Dudley."

Those who heard burst into laughter.

"Nice one Mate," Ron high fived his friend.

**By the end of the class, Harry, like everyone else, was sweaty, aching, and covered in earth. Everyone traipsed back to the castle for a quick wash and then the Gryffindors hurried off to Transfiguration.**

**Professor McGonagall's classes were always hard work, but today was especially difficult. Everything Harry had learned last year seemed to have leaked out of his head during the summer.**

"This is why we assign work over the summer," McGonagall pointed out. "In the hope that you retain some knowledge over the summer holidays."

**He was supposed to be turning a beetle into a button, but all he managed to do was give his beetle a lot of exercise as it scuttled over the desktop avoiding his wand.**

"Aren't they supposed to be immobilized?" Tonks asked. "It's a lot harder to hit a moving target than a stationary one."

"Tell me about it," Harry muttered.

**Ron was having far worse problems. He had patched up his wand with some borrowed Spellotape, but it seemed to be damaged beyond repair.**

"I really wish you would have told us," Arthur sighed. "It's dangerous, not only to yourself but to others as well."

"I found that out." Ron winced thinking about all the problems his wand caused, the only good thing that came out of it was Lockhart being obliviated. "I just didn't want to tell you and mum because we had just taken the car."

"Next time tell us right away," his father said sternly. "You never know when you might need it."

"Especially with Voldemort back," Harry said quietly so only Ron could hear.

Ron paled at the thought of being around Voldemort without a wand.

**It kept crackling and sparking at odd moments, and every time Ron tried to transfigure his beetle it engulfed him in thick gray smoke that smelled of rotten eggs.**

"Lovely," Lavender said wrinkling her nose.

**Unable to see what he was doing, Ron accidentally squashed his beetle with his elbow and had to ask for a new one. Professor McGonagall wasn't pleased.**

"No I wasn't," McGonagall said stiffly.

"She never is when her class gets interrupted," Remus said amused.

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you Remus?" McGonagall asked sternly, but Harry could see her lips twitching.

**Harry was relieved to hear the lunch bell. His brain felt like a wrung sponge. Everyone filed out of the classroom except him and Ron, who was whacking his wand furiously on the desk.**

" **Stupid — useless — thing —"**

"Whacking your wand against the desk won't work," Blaise said more civilly than Harry thought he'd hear from most Slytherins.

Harry tried to remember if he ever saw Blaise with Draco and he came up with a no. _'That may explain it, he isn't one of Malfoy's cronies.'_

" **Write home for another one," Harry suggested as the wand let off a volley of bangs like a firecracker.**

" **Oh, yeah, and get another Howler back," said Ron, stuffing the now hissing wand into his bag.** "' **It's your own fault your wand got snapped — '"**

"That's a small price to pay for a working wand," Moody grunted.

"It's actually good you didn't," Harry muttered to Ron. "We wouldn't be here and neither would Ginny if you had."

**They went down to lunch, where Ron's mood was not improved by Hermione's showing them the handful of perfect coat buttons she had produced in Transfiguration.**

"It's really not polite to rub it in their faces," Remus said gently.

Hermione blushed. "I didn't do it to rub it in their faces, I just wanted them to be proud of me."

"From your point of view I understand why you did it," Harry told her. "And we're always proud of you."

"Really?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Really," Ron said with a small smile.

" **What've we got this afternoon?" said Harry, hastily changing the subject.**

" **Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione at once.**

" **Why," demanded Ron, seizing her schedule, "have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?"**

"I thought of all people Hermione would be smart enough not to fall for his charm," Charlie said chuckling.

Hermione turned red hearing all the laughter.

**Hermione snatched the schedule back, blushing furiously.**

**They finished lunch and went outside into the overcast courtyard. Hermione sat down on a stone step and buried her nose in Voyages with Vampires again. Harry and Ron stood talking about Quidditch for several minutes before Harry became aware that he was being closely watched. Looking up, he saw the very small, mousy-haired boy he'd seen trying on the Sorting Hat last night staring at Harry as though transfixed. He was clutching what looked like an ordinary Muggle camera, and the moment Harry looked at him, he went bright red.**

"Ah how cute," Tonks cooed. "Harry's got himself a little fan."

Harry and Colin both blushed while everyone snickered.

" **All right, Harry? I'm — I'm Colin Creevey," he said breathlessly, taking a tentative step forward. "I'm in Gryffindor, too. D'you think — would it be all right if — can I have a picture?" he said, raising the camera hopefully.**

Harry made a face and shook his head. "I don't do pictures."

Several people sent him amused looks.

Remus chuckled. "You're the complete opposite of your father in that regard, he would've loved the attention and you try to get away from it."

" **A picture?" Harry repeated blankly.**

"You should've seen your face," Ron said snickering.

"Shut up Ron," Harry said turning red.

" **So I can prove I've met you," said Colin Creevey eagerly, edging further forward. "I know all about you. Everyone's told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you've still got a lightning scar on your forehead" (his eyes raked Harry's hairline) "and a boy in my dormitory said if I develop the film in the right potion, the pictures will move." Colin drew a great shuddering breath**

"Merlin, he talks as fast as Hermione," Fred said.

Hermione sent a mock glare at Fred.

**of excitement and said, "It's amazing here, isn't it? I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My dad's a milkman, he couldn't believe it either. So I'm taking loads of pictures to send home to him. And it'd be really good if I had one of you" — he looked imploringly at Harry — "maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next to you? And then, could you sign it?"**

"Your first autograph," George mock cooed.

"Next thing you know you'll be on a chocolate frog card," Fred said laughing.

"That would be cool," Harry said.

Everyone turned to stare at him.

"Harry..." Hermione said slowly. "You hate your fame."

"I know I do," Harry told her. "But if I have to put up with it the least they could do is give me a frog card."

The hall was silent for a moment and then everyone burst into laughter.

Snape sneered. _'And there's that Potter arrogance rearing its ugly head.'_

" **Signed photos? You're giving out signed photos, Potter?"**

"How does that prat always show up at the worst times?" Charlie asked in annoyance.

"It's like he has a spell that tells him when the most embarrassing or most inconvenient times are for him to show up and then he does," Bill said.

**Loud and scathing, Draco Malfoy's voice echoed around the courtyard. He had stopped right behind Colin, flanked, as he always was at Hogwarts, by his large and thuggish cronies, Crabbe and Goyle.**

" **Everyone line up!" Malfoy roared to the crowd. "Harry Potter's giving out signed photos!"**

Many glares were shot at the young Malfoy heir who just sneered at everyone.

" **No, I'm not," said Harry angrily, his fists clenching. "Shut up, Malfoy."**

" **You're just jealous," piped up Colin,**

"He is." Half of the Gryffindor table said and Draco's cheeks flushed.

**whose entire body was about as thick as Crabbe's neck.**

" **Jealous?" said Malfoy, who didn't need to shout anymore: half the courtyard was listening in. "Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself."**

"I don't think it does either," Harry said quietly.

**Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering stupidly.**

"How does one snigger stupidly?" George asked in amusement.

" **Eat slugs, Malfoy,"**

Ron winced remembering the curse that backfired on him.

**said Ron angrily. Crabbe stopped laughing and started rubbing his knuckles in a menacing way.**

" **Be careful, Weasley," sneered Malfoy. "You don't want to start any trouble or your Mommy'll have to come and take you away from school." He put on a shrill, piercing voice. "'If you put another toe out of line'—"**

All of the Weasley's shot Draco glares.

"Really mature," Hermione said dryly.

**A knot of Slytherin fifth-years nearby laughed loudly at this.**

" **Weasley would like a signed photo, Potter," smirked Malfoy. "It'd be worth more than his family's whole house —"**

"Severus," McGonagall said, her lips frowning in disapproval "You need to do something about him, he is the one who starts all of their fights." She said this quietly so only Snape heard.

Snape nodded curtly.

**Ron whipped out his Spellotaped wand, but Hermione shut Voyages with Vampires with a snap and whispered, "Look out!"**

" **What's all this, what's all this?" Gilderoy Lockhart was striding toward them, his turquoise robes swirling behind him. "Who's giving out signed photos?"**

Many people groaned.

"Now you have to deal with both prats at the same time," Dean said.

"You really do have horrible luck," Neville told him.

Harry sighed. "Tell me about it."

"Well in your first year there was a troll and then-" George said but Harry cut him off.

"It was a rhetorical statement," Harry said his lips twitching.

**Harry started to speak but he was cut short as Lockhart flung an arm around his shoulders and thundered jovially, "Shouldn't have asked! We meet again, Harry!"**

**Pinned to Lockhart's side and burning with humiliation, Harry saw Malfoy slide smirking back into the crowd.**

"Prat." "Git." "Idiot." "Jerk." Were heard all around the hall.

" **Come on then, Mr. Creevey," said Lockhart, beaming at Colin. "A double portrait, can't do better than that, and we'll both sign it for you."**

"Did you sign it?" Neville asked in amusement.

Harry scowled. "No and I'm never going to." He turned to Colin. "No offense."

Colin blushed and shook his head. "It's alright, I see now that you don't like the attention."

**Colin fumbled for his camera and took the picture as the bell rang behind them, signaling the start of afternoon classes.**

" **Off you go, move along there," Lockhart called to the crowd, and he set off back to the castle with Harry, who was wishing he knew a good Vanishing Spell, still clasped to his side.**

"I still do half the time," Harry muttered.

Ron and Hermione sent their best friend sympathetic looks.

"He seems overly fond of touching you," George pointed out.

The hall went deathly quiet and everyone turned towards the Gryffindor table.

Harry noticed everyone was looking at him and he quickly shook his head. "Ew! No! Never, never, never." He looked repulsed at the thought.

" **A word to the wise, Harry," said Lockhart paternally as they entered the building through a side door. "I covered up for you back there with young Creevey —**

Many people snorted.

"He didn't cover it up," Bill said incredulously. "If anything the git just made it worse."

**if he was photographing me, too, your schoolmates won't think you're setting yourself up so much…"**

Hermione scoffed. "Like he asked for Colin to take his picture."

**Deaf to Harry's stammers, Lockhart swept him down a corridor lined with staring students and up a staircase.**

" **Let me just say that handing out signed pictures at this stage of your career isn't sensible — looks a tad bigheaded, Harry, to be frank. There may well come a time when, like me, you'll need to keep a stack handy wherever you go, but" — he gave a little chortle — "I don't think you're quite there yet."**

"Unbelievable," Padma muttered.

**They had reached Lockhart's classroom and he let Harry go at last. Harry yanked his robes straight and headed for a seat at the very back of the class, where he busied himself with piling all seven of Lockhart's books in front of him, so that he could avoid looking at the real thing.**

"I don't blame you," Wayne Hopkins said.

"That's about the only thing those books were good for," Ron muttered.

**The rest of the class came clattering in, and Ron and Hermione sat down on either side of Harry.**

" **You could've fried an egg on your face" said Ron. "You'd better hope Creevey doesn't meet Ginny, or they'll be starting a Harry Potter fan club."**

Harry groaned while the hall snickered.

" **Shut up," snapped Harry. The last thing he needed was for Lockhart to hear the phrase "Harry Potter fan club."**

"That would've been hilarious!" Ron laughed.

"No it wouldn't of," Harry snapped. "I'd rather fight Voldemort again than spend any more time with that idiot."

**When the whole class was seated, Lockhart cleared his throat loudly and silence fell. He reached forward, picked up Neville Longbottom's copy of Travels with Trolls, and held it up to show his own, winking portrait on the front.**

" **Me," he said, pointing at it and winking as well.**

"Like that isn't obvious," Warrington sneered.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Graham Montague said.

" **Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League,**

"Who was the fool who made him an Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League?" Jack Sloper asked.

**and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!"**

"Really? Because I wanted to run when he smiled at me." Harry said dryly causing people to laugh.

**He waited for them to laugh; a few people smiled weakly.**

" **I see you've all bought a complete set of my books — well done.**

"Like we had a choice," Fred snorted.

"Only his little fan girls actually wanted them," George added.

"He probably only became a teacher so he could add his books to the list and increase his sales," Charlie said.

"I wouldn't doubt that," Bill told him.

**I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about — just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in —"**

"That's actually not a bad way to start the class," Tonks said.

"I doubt she'll still think that when she hears the quiz," Harry muttered to Ron.

**When he had handed out the test papers he returned to the front of the class and said, "You have thirty minutes — start —now!"**

**Harry looked down at his paper and read:**

**1\. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?**

"I stand corrected," Tonks said incredulously.

All of the adults and those who didn't have him for a professor stared at the book in disbelief.

"What does his favorite color have to do with defense?" Moody grunted.

"He's not serious?" Bill asked nonplussed.

"Just wait, it gets even worse," Harry said amused.

**2\. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?**

**3\. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?**

"Merlin it keeps getting worse," Remus said rubbing his temples. "No wonder the students didn't learn anything."

**On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to:**

**54\. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?**

"Fifty-four question about himself?" Amelia asked with thin lips.

"You actually hired this man Dumbledore?" Moody asked gruffly.

Dumbledore sighed. "He was the only one who applied for the position."

"If I were still at Hogwarts I would've skipped his classes," Charlie said.

"Charlie!" Molly yelled at the same time the professors yelled. "Mr. Weasley!"

"What?" Charlie shrugged. "It's obvious they didn't learn anything from him. I'm sure they would've learned more if they would've studied on their own or formed some sort of defense study group."

The members of the DA all exchanged amused looks.

**Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class.**

" **Tut, tut — hardly any of you remembered that my favorite color is lilac.**

The boys in the hall all made disgusted faces.

"Lilac?" Charlie asked before bursting into laughter.

"What kind of mans favorite color is lilac?" Bill asked with an amused look.

"An idiots," Ron muttered.

**I say so in Year with the Yeti. And a few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully — I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples —**

**Most of the hall snorted.**

"Somehow I don't think that's true," Kingsley said in his deep voice.

**though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey!"**

"That's more like it," Kingsley said.

**He gave them another roguish wink.**

More looks on disbelief were sent towards the book.

**Ron was now staring at Lockhart with an expression of disbelief on his face;**

"I don't blame you mate," Harry told him.

**Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were sitting in front, were shaking with silent laughter.**

"I was trying so hard not to roll on the floor laughing," Dean said chuckling at the memory.

"Me too." Seamus said trying to ignore the glares from Hermione and the four youngest Weasley's for talking.

**Hermione, on the other hand, was listening to Lockhart with rapt attention and gave a start when he mentioned her name.**

Hermione blushed at all of the amused looks.

"… **but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions —**

"Hair-care products?" Charlie said slowly before laughing, his laughter was contagious and soon almost everyone was laughing.

**good girl! In fact" — he flipped her paper over — "full marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"**

"You actually got full marks?" Michael asked with eyebrows.

"I read the book," Hermione said with a shrug. "Just because the teacher is an idiot doesn't mean I won't try my best."

"And you had a crush on him," Ron said smirking. "Ow!" Ron yelled when she smacked the back of his head.

**Hermione raised a trembling hand.**

" **Excellent!" beamed Lockhart. "Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor! And so — to business —"**

**He bent down behind his desk and lifted a large, covered cage onto it.**

" **Now — be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizard kind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here.**

Harry and Ron snorted.

**All I ask is that you remain calm."**

"Why do I get a bad feeling about this?" Remus asked pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Because Harry's in the class and his luck sucks," Tonks said bluntly.

"Thanks Tonks," Harry said dryly.

"Of course!" Tonks said cheerfully.

**In spite of himself, Harry leaned around his pile of books for a better look at the cage. Lockhart placed a hand on the cover. Dean and Seamus had stopped laughing now. Neville was cowering in his front row seat.**

"I should've known it was going to be something stupid," Neville muttered.

" **I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart in a low voice. "It might provoke them."**

Everyone who wasn't there leaned forward in anticipation.

**As the whole class held its breath, Lockhart whipped off the cover.**

" **Yes," he said dramatically. "Freshly caught Cornish pixies."**

The hall burst into laughter.

"Cornish pixies?" Fleur asked. "Those aren't scary."

"They are tricky little buggers though," Bill said through his laughter. "But no they aren't scary."

**Seamus Finnigan couldn't control himself. He let out a snort of laughter that even Lockhart couldn't mistake for a scream of terror.**

" **Yes?" He smiled at Seamus.**

" **Well, they're not — they're not very —dangerous, are they?" Seamus choked.**

"No." Many people said at once.

" **Don't be so sure!" said Lockhart, waggling a finger annoyingly at Seamus. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!"**

**The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing. The moment the cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest them.**

" **Right, then," Lockhart said loudly. "Let's see what you make of them!" And he opened the cage.**

The hall went deathly quiet and everyone looked at the book in utter disbelief.

"That...that man," McGonagall tried to say something while shaking her head.

Snape sneered. "That man is even more foolish than I thought."

"He actually let a bunch of Cornish pixies loose in a classroom full of second years?" Remus asked incredulously.

"Yes." Everyone who was present in that class said.

**It was pandemonium. The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Two of them seized Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air.**

"Oh dear, don't get hurt," Molly said worriedly.

**Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with broken glass.**

The adults sans Snape, Fudge and Umbridge were glaring at the book.

"Students could've been seriously injured," Pomfrey huffed.

**The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more effectively than a rampaging rhino. They grabbed ink bottles and sprayed the class with them, shredded books and papers, tore pictures from the walls, up-ended the waste basket, grabbed bags and books and threw them out of the smashed window; within minutes, half the class was sheltering under desks and Neville was swinging from the iron chandelier in the ceiling.**

" **Come on now — round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted.**

"He didn't even tell you how to round them up!" Charlie exclaimed.

Harry snorted. "He didn't even know how himself."

**He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed, "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"**

The hall burst into laughter and the adults looked furious.

"He sent them loose without knowing how to get them back!" McGonagall yelled.

"He shouldn't of been allowed near our students," Sprout huffed.

**It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out of the window, too. Lockhart gulped and dived under his own desk,**

"He left the students to deal with them?" Bill asked angrily.

**narrowly avoiding being squashed by Neville, who fell a second later as the chandelier gave way.**

Many people winced.

"Were you alright?" Molly asked kindly.

"I was fine Mrs. Weasley," Neville assured her.

**The bell rang and there was a mad rush toward the exit. In the relative calm that followed, Lockhart straightened up, caught sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione,**

_'Of course he did.'_ Snuffles thought, not liking the idea of Lockhart near his godson or his friends.

**who were almost at the door, and said, "Well, I'll ask you three to just nip the rest of them back into their cage." He swept past them and shut the door quickly behind him.**

"He left three of my second year lions alone with them," McGonagall said through clenched teeth.

"He's even worse than we thought," Flitwick squeaked.

" **Can you believe him?" roared Ron as one of the remaining pixies bit him painfully on the ear.**

" **He just wants to give us some hands-on experience," said Hermione,**

Many people sent Hermione looks of complete disbelief.

**immobilizing two pixies at once with a clever Freezing Charm and stuffing them back into their cage.**

"Nice job Miss Granger!" Flitwick praised causing her to blush.

" **Hands on?" said Harry, who was trying to grab a pixie dancing out of reach with its tongue out. "Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing —"**

" **Rubbish," said Hermione. "You've read his books — look at all those amazing things he's done —"**

"He says he's done," Malfoy sneered.

" **He says he's done," Ron muttered.**

Ron and Draco looked horrified that they once again said the same thing and the hall laughed.

After the laughter died down Dean held up the book. "That was the end of the chapter."

Dumbledore stood up. "It is time for lunch." Ron smiled and Harry shook his head in amusement. "We will take a thirty minute break to eat and then we will continue with the next chapter." He waved his hands and food appeared on the tables.

As soon as the food appeared everyone began to pile food on their plates and conversations broke out.

"I really hope we don't have to read anymore about that git," Ron said through a mouthful of bread.

Hermione wrinkled her nose. "Don't talk with your mouth full Ronald."

Ron rolled his eyes and took another large bite out of his turkey sandwich.

"We haven't read about any rule breaking yet," Fred said to the trio.

"I'm surprised," George told them. "I'm assuming some is coming up though."

The trio exchanged looks. "I hope not." They said at the same time.

Over at the end of the Gryffindor table the first and second years were talking excitedly about Harry and Ron flying a car to school.

"Can you believe it?" A little first year squealed.

"I know!" His friend said with a large smile. "They are so cool! I wish I could do something like that."

Over at the Hufflepuff table, a different sort of conversation was going on. "I don't want to read about the petrification's," Hannah told her friends.

"Me either," Justin paled. "But I do want...no, I need to know exactly what happened."

"Me too," Ernie said. "All I heard was that Harry stopped the heir of Slytherin, but no one but Harry, Ron, Hermione and the professors really know what happened."

"I hope whatever Harry did it wasn't as dangerous as in our first year," Susan told them seriously.

"I'm glad we didn't have Lockhart for a professor," a first year Ravenclaw told her friends.

"Yeah," her friend said. "He sounds even worse than Umbridge."

"The more we read about Harry the more he seems like a great guy," Daphne said to her best friend.

"You should've known everything Malfoy says are lies," Tracey told her.

"I know," Daphne sighed. "I had never even talked to him before we started reading these books. I just wonder how things might've been if he hadn't met Malfoy."

"What do you mean?" Tracey asked furrowing her eyebrows.

"Well, if he hadn't met Malfoy he wouldn't of told the sorting hat not to put him in Slytherin," Daphne explained.

"Could you imagine everyone's reactions if the golden boy had been made a snake instead of a lion?" Tracey asked amused.

Thirty minutes passed quickly and soon Dumbledore was waving his hands once again and the tables were cleared off. "Now that we have all been fed we can continue onto the next chapter. Who would like to read next?"

"I will." Seamus said taking the book from Dean and once again ignoring the looks from the younger Weasley's and Hermione.


	7. Mudbloods and Murmurs

Seamus cleared his throat and began to read. **"Mudbloods and Murmurs."** He stumbled over the word mudblood.

No one but Dumbledore noticed Snape wince at the vile word.

"What?" "Excuse me?" "Did he just say what I think he said?"

Draco visibly paled. _'I remember calling Granger that back in second year.'_ He glanced at the Gryffindor table and saw the trio glaring daggers at him, he internally winced.

Dumbledore stood up to speak over the noise. "Please continue reading Mr. Finnigan," he said his eyes void of their usual twinkle.

" **Harry spent a lot of time over the next few days dodging out of sight whenever he saw Gilderoy Lockhart coming down a corridor.**

"I don't blame you." Many of the boys muttered.

**Harder to avoid was Colin Creevey, who seemed to have memorized Harry's schedule.**

Colin and Harry both turned red while the hall sniggered.

"Little Harrikins has himself a stalker," George cooed.

"Isn't that cute," Fred sighed dreamily.

"Funny," Harry muttered turning redder.

**Nothing seemed to give Colin a bigger thrill than to say, "All right, Harry?" six or seven times a day and hear, "Hello, Colin," back, however exasperated Harry sounded when he said it.**

"Sorry," Colin said sheepishly.

"It's alright, you were just excited." Harry told him, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

**Hedwig was still angry with Harry about the disastrous car journey**

"Your owl has a very unusual personality," Luna said dreamily.

"Yeah she does," Harry said fondly.

**and Ron's wand was still malfunctioning, surpassing itself on Friday morning by shooting out of Ron's hand in Charms and hitting tiny old Professor Flitwick squarely between the eyes, creating a large, throbbing green boil where it had struck.**

Many people winced and Flitwick rubbed the spot where the boil had been.

"Sorry Professor," Ron said quickly.

Flitwick chuckled. "It's quite alright Mr. Weasley."

**So with one thing and another, Harry was quite glad to reach the weekend. He, Ron, and Hermione were planning to visit Hagrid on Saturday morning.**

Hagrid beamed at the trio, who all beamed back up at the half-giant.

**Harry, however, was shaken awake several hours earlier than he would have liked by Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.**

Oliver's old quidditch team groaned.

"What's with all the groaning?" Oliver asked.

"School had barely started and you were waking us up before the sun was even up," Alicia said.

"So?" Oliver asked indignantly.

"We wanted to sleep!" Angelina exclaimed exasperated.

"But we needed to practice in order to win," Oliver said stubbornly.

His old team exchanged half fond, half annoyed looks while everyone else laughed.

" **Whassamatter?" said Harry groggily.**

" **Quidditch practice!" said Wood. "Come on!"**

**Harry squinted at the window. There was a thin mist hanging across the pink-and-gold sky. Now that he was awake, he couldn't understand how he could have slept through the racket the birds were making.**

" **Oliver," Harry croaked. "It's the crack of dawn."**

The teachers all frowned.

"There's no way I would've got up that early," Ron said shaking his head.

"I didn't exactly have a choice," Harry told him.

" **Exactly," said Wood. He was a tall and burly sixth year and, at the moment, his eyes were gleaming with a crazed enthusiasm.**

"His eyes always look like that when he's talking about quidditch," Alicia said.

**"It's part of our new training program. Come on, grab your broom, and let's go," said Wood heartily. "None of the other teams have started training yet; we're going to be first off the mark this year —"**

The three other house quidditch teams rolled their eyes.

**Yawning and shivering slightly, Harry climbed out of bed and tried to find his Quidditch robes.**

" **Good man," said Wood. "Meet you on the field in fifteen minutes."**

**When he'd found his scarlet team robes and pulled on his cloak for warmth, Harry scribbled a note to Ron explaining where he'd gone and went down the spiral staircase to the common room,**

"Why'd you leave him a note?" Wayne Hopkins asked.

Harry shrugged. "So he would know where I was."

**his Nimbus Two Thousand on his shoulder. He had just reached the portrait hole when there was a clatter behind him and Colin Creevey came dashing down the spiral staircase, his camera swinging madly around his neck and something clutched in his hand.**

Everyone turned to look at Colin who was blushing.

"What were you doing up so early?" Dean asked, he was clearly amused.

Colin looked around sheepishly. "I was coming from the loo when I heard saw Oliver up with his broom and I heard him say Harry's name, so I knew that Harry would be coming soon."

Several people snickered and Harry turned red.

" **I heard someone saying your name on the stairs, Harry!** **Look what I've got here! I've had it developed, I wanted to show you."**

**Harry looked bemusedly at the photograph Colin was brandishing under his nose.**

"I'm surprised you were able to see the picture clearly with Colin jumping around," Ron snickered.

Harry shot him a mock glare. "I'm a seeker," he said in a fake pompous voice. "I'm used to things moving around quickly."

**A moving, black-and-white Lockhart was tugging hard on an arm Harry recognized as his own. He was pleased to see that his photographic self was putting up a good fight and refusing to be dragged into view.**

The hall broke into laughter.

"Of course," George said through his laughter.

"Only your photographic self wouldn't want to be in a picture," Fred said.

**As Harry watched, Lockhart gave up and slumped, Panting, against the white edge of the picture.**

Fred and George snickered.

"Even his photographic self is a wimp," Dean chuckled.

"He can't even pull a scrawny little boy," Ron said.

"Oi!" Harry exclaimed. "I am not scrawny!"

"Yes you are." Fred and George said together with large grins.

" **Will you sign it?" said Colin eagerly.**

" **No," said Harry flatly, glancing around to check that the room was really deserted.**

"Trying to make sure Lockhart or Malfoy weren't there to overhear?" Jack Sloper asked.

"I was trying to make sure that nobody was around," Harry said dryly.

**"Sorry, Colin, I'm in a hurry — Quidditch practice —"**

**He climbed through the portrait hole.**

" **Oh, wow! Wait for me! I've never watched a Quidditch game before!"**

**Colin scrambled through the hole after him.**

" **It'll be really boring," Harry said quickly,**

Oliver looked scandalized. "I'm going to pretend I never heard that."

Oliver's old quidditch team broke into laughter.

"Good thing you didn't let Oliver hear that back then," Katie said giggling.

**but Colin ignored him, his face shining with excitement.**

" **You were the youngest House player in a hundred years, weren't you, Harry? Weren't you?" said Colin, trotting alongside him. "You must be brilliant.**

"He is." The majority of Gryffindor house said.

"Unfortunately." The other house teams players said.

"And to think that if it wasn't for Malfoy you'd be the Slytherins seeker," Fred shouted.

The Slytherin quidditch team all turned to glare at the now very pale Malfoy.

Harry and Ron exchanged amused looks.

**I've never flown. Is it easy? Is that your own broom? Is that the best one there is?"**

"It was a brilliant broom," Harry sighed.

"What happened to it?" Charlie asked.

"It got destroyed in my third year by the whomping willow," Harry told him.

"That sucks," Charlie winced. "What broom do you have now."

A smile spread across Harry's face. "A firebolt."

"A firebolt?" Charlie exclaimed. "That's bloody awesome! Can I have a go later?"

"Charles!" Molly yelled.

Harry chuckled. "It's alright Mrs. Weasley, and yes Charlie you can ride it before you go back to Romania."

"Wicked," Charlie said with a huge grin.

**Harry didn't know how to get rid of him. It was like having an extremely talkative shadow.**

"That's a good way to describe it mate," Ron said.

Colin blushed at all the laughter.

" **I don't really understand Quidditch," said Colin breathlessly. "Is it true there are four balls? And two of them fly around trying to knock people off their brooms?"**

" **Yes," said Harry heavily, resigned to explaining the complicated rules of Quidditch.**

"Quidditch isn't complicated," Oliver said.

"I know," Harry said. "I just wasn't in the mood to explain the rules, I was half asleep."

**"They're called Bludgers. There are two Beaters on each team who carry clubs to beat the Bludgers away from their side. Fred and George Weasley are the Gryffindor Beaters."**

Fred and George grinned widely and stood up to bow.

"Thank you," George said waving his hands like royalty.

"We know we're amazing," Fred said in a pompous manner reminiscent of Percy.

"Misters Weasley," McGonagall said sternly, though Harry could see her lips twitching. "Please sit down."

The twins took one last bow and sat down to the laughter of the great hall.

" **And what are the other balls for?" Colin asked, tripping down a couple of steps because he was gazing open-mouthed at Harry.**

"You really should be more careful dear," Molly told the fourth year kindly.

Colin just nodded and turned even redder.

" **Well, the Quaffle — that's the biggish red one — is the one that scores goals. Three Chasers on each team throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through the goal posts at the end of the pitch — they're three long poles with hoops on the end."**

" **And the fourth ball —"**

"— **is the Golden Snitch," said Harry, "and it's very small, very fast, and difficult to catch. But that's what the Seeker's got to do, because a game of Quidditch doesn't end until the Snitch has been caught. And whichever team's Seeker gets the Snitch earns his team an extra hundred and fifty points."**

"The other positions seem quite pointless," Hermione said.

Everyone turned to stare, or in some cases glare at her.

"Hermione," Ginny groaned. "You don't say that in a room full of people who love quidditch."

"The other positions aren't pointless!" Oliver snapped. "You can still win even if your team doesn't catch the snitch."

"Yeah, like when we watched the Quidditch world cup, Krum caught the snitch but Ireland won," Ron said hotly.

"Okay, okay." Hermione said before huffing and crossing her arms over her chest.

" **And you're the Gryffindor Seeker, aren't you?" said Colin in awe.**

"Best seeker ever!" Oliver said proudly.

"Thanks Oliver," Harry muttered.

" **Yes," said Harry as they left the castle and started across the dew-drenched grass. "And there's the Keeper, too. He guards the goal posts. That's it, really."**

"We also had the best keeper ever," Harry said while smiling at his old captain.

"The greatest," Alicia said giving Oliver a hug.

Fred and Gorge patted Oliver on the back and nearly sent him flying onto the table.

**But Colin didn't stop questioning Harry all the way down the sloping lawns to the Quidditch field, and Harry only shook him off when he reached the changing rooms; Colin called after him in a piping voice, "I'll go and get a good seat, Harry!" and hurried off to the stands.**

"You stayed to watch him practice?" Euan asked, Harry could tell he was trying to keep the amusement from his voice.

"I had never seen anyone play quidditch before," Colin said quickly.

**The rest of the Gryffindor team were already in the changing room. Wood was the only person who looked truly awake. Fred and George Weasley were sitting, puffy-eyed and tousle haired, next to fourth year Alicia Spinnet, who seemed to be nodding off against the wall behind her. Her fellow Chasers, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, were yawning side by side opposite them.**

" **There you are, Harry, what kept you?" said Wood briskly. "Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the field, because I spent the summer devising a whole new training program, which I really think will make all the difference…"**

"Of course he did." One of the Ravenclaw chasers muttered.

**Wood was holding up a large diagram of a Quidditch field, on which were drawn many lines, arrows, and crosses in different colored inks. He took out his wand, tapped the board, and the arrows began to wiggle over the diagram like caterpillars.**

"Wicked!" A first year Hufflepuff exclaimed.

**As Wood launched into a speech about his new tactics, Fred Weasley's head drooped right onto Alicia Spinnet's shoulder and he began to snore.**

"You should've waited until they were awake before you started discussing strategy," Charlie said.

"You could've had them fly a few laps around the pitch to wake them up," Bill added.

Oliver rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I was so excited about my plans I just wanted to tell them as soon as I could."

**The first board took nearly twenty minutes to explain, but there was another board under that, and a third under that one. Harry sank into a stupor as Wood droned on and on.**

"You know it's bad when Wood Junior is even falling asleep?" Fred said pointed towards Harry.

"Wood Junior?" Harry and Oliver both asked at the same time.

"Yeah," George said. "Your the one who usually agrees with Oliver's crazy schedules, and he taught you how to play. You're like the same person sometimes."

"Well there are worse people than Oliver to be compared too," Harry said after a moment.

" **So," said Wood, at long last, jerking Harry from a wistful fantasy about what he could be eating for breakfast at this very moment up at the castle. "Is that clear? Any questions?"**

" **I've got a question, Oliver," said George, who had woken with a start. "Why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday when we were awake?"**

"You probably should've told them the night before that you were planning on holding an early morning practice," Charlie said.

**Wood wasn't pleased.**

"That's not good." Fred and George said at the same time.

" **Now, listen here, you lot," he said, glowering at them all. "We should have won the Quidditch cup last year. We're easily the best team. But unfortunately — owing to circumstances beyond our control —"**

"Harry was unconscious in the hospital wing," Hermione said fiercely.

"I wasn't blaming Harry," Oliver said quickly. "But we should've won."

"Why didn't you guys have a reserve seeker?" Neville asked. "The other houses do."

Oliver once again looked sheepish. "Harry is such a brilliant player I didn't see the need for one. I know that I should've but...well I didn't think he'd spend so much time in the hospital wing."

**Harry shifted guiltily in his seat.**

"You shouldn't feel guilty for that," Daphne told him.

Harry could tell she was being sincere so he sent the Slytherin a smile.

**He had been unconscious in the hospital wing for the final match of the previous year, meaning that Gryffindor had been a player short and had suffered their worst defeat in three hundred years.**

Oliver looked depressed at the memory.

**Wood took a moment to regain control of himself. Their last defeat was clearly still torturing him.**

"It looks like it still is," Fred stage whispered.

The hall broke into laughter and Oliver sent his old beater a glare.

" **So this year, we train harder than ever before… Okay, let's go and put our new theories into practice!" Wood shouted, seizing his broomstick and leading the way out of the locker rooms. Stiff-legged and still yawning, his team followed.**

**They had been in the locker room so long that the sun was up completely now,**

"How long were you in there for?" Ernie asked.

Harry looked thoughtful. "Three hours I think."

**although remnants of mist hung over the grass in the stadium. As Harry walked onto the field, he saw Ron and Hermione sitting in the stands.**

" **Aren't you finished yet?" called Ron incredulously.**

"Harry was gone for so long we thought for sure that he was done," Ron said.

" **Haven't even started," said Harry, looking jealously at the toast and marmalade Ron and Hermione had brought out of the Great Hall.**

"You should've said you were hungry," Hermione told him. "We would've given you some."

"I don't think little Ronnikins would've been happy to give his food up," Fred said trying not to laugh.

"Oi!" Ron shouted. "I would've given him some."

**"Wood's been teaching us new moves."**

"Did any of you even remember anything he said?" Anthony asked.

"No." Harry, Fred, George, Katie, Alicia and Angelina all said causing Oliver to scowl.

**He mounted his broomstick and kicked at the ground, soaring up into the air. The cool morning air whipped his face, waking him far more effectively than Wood's long talk.**

"Maybe I should've had you all do some laps around the pitch first," Oliver muttered to himself.

**It felt wonderful to be back on the Quidditch field. He soared right around the stadium at full speed, racing Fred and George.**

Harry smiled at his memories of flying, before scowling in remembrance of his lifetime ban.

" **What's that funny clicking noise?" called Fred as they hurtled around the corner.**

**Harry looked into the stands. Colin was sitting in one of the highest seats, his camera raised, taking picture after picture, the sound strangely magnified in the deserted stadium.**

" **Look this way, Harry! This way!" he cried shrilly.**

Colin blushed fiercely at all of the amused looks he was receiving.

" **Who's that?" said Fred.**

" **No idea," Harry lied, putting on a spurt of speed that took him as far away as possible from Colin.**

"Sorry Colin." Harry said quickly, he feels bad for always blowing him off because he still vividly remembers seeing Colin laying in the infirmary looking like stone.

"You lied to us!" George yelled dramatically.

"How could you," Fred said between fake sobs.

Harry rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless at their antics.

" **What's going on?" said Wood, frowning, as he skimmed through the air toward them. "Why's that first year taking pictures? I don't like it. He could be a Slytherin spy, trying to find out about our new training program."**

"Seriously?" Draco sneered. "We don't need to spy on your team."

"Maybe you do," Harry said.

Ron caught on to what his best friend was trying to say and he smirked before saying. "Yeah, maybe if you did your team would actually win a game against us."

The Gryffindor team burst into laughter and most of the Slytherins scowled.

" **He's in Gryffindor," said Harry quickly.**

"I thought you didn't know him?" George asked cheekily.

"Shut up," Harry said laughing.

" **And the Slytherins don't need a spy, Oliver," said George.**

"Why?" Several people asked looking confused.

" **What makes you say that?" said Wood testily.**

" **Because they're here in person," said George, pointing.**

The majority of the great hall groaned.

"You've got to be kidding me," Andrew Kirke said.

"The entire Slytherin team is stalking you now Harry? I thought it was just Malfoy," Neville said.

Everyone stared at the usually quiet boy.

"What?" Neville asked turning red after he realized that he had spoken out loud.

"That-" Fred said, a smile slowly forming.

"Was-" George said grinning like the cat that caught the canary.

"Brilliant!" Fred and George shouted together.

3/4 of the hall then broke into cheers and laughter while the Slytherin quidditch team glared.

**Several people in green robes were walking onto the field, broomsticks in their hands.**

" **I don't believe it!" Wood hissed in outrage. "I booked the field for today! We'll see about this!"**

"This isn't going to be good," Parvarti said.

**Wood shot toward the ground, landing rather harder than he meant to in his anger, staggering slightly as he dismounted. Harry, Fred, and George followed.**

" **Flint!" Wood bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!"**

**Marcus Flint was even larger than Wood. He had a look of trollish cunning**

"Trollish cunning?" Hermione asked in amusement. "I didn't know trolls could be cunning."

"Shut up," Harry said turning red.

**on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."**

Many snorts were heard.

"Slytherins and Gryffindors practicing together would lead to several people spending the night in the hospital wing," Theo Nott said.

**Angelina, Alicia, and Katie had come over, too. There were no girls on the Slytherin team, who stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the Gryffindors, leering to a man.**

" **But I booked the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "I booked it!"**

Many people were sending Oliver amused looks.

" **Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape.**

Snape is now on the receiving end of several glares from the Gryffindor table.

**'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker'. "**

"Severus Snape," McGonagall shouted. "How dare you show such favoritism, the Gryffindor team booked the pitch so they are entitled to it."

"I didn't write them a note," Snape snarled before turning to glare at the Slytherins.

The Slytherins who had been on the quidditch team at that time paled drastically.

The rest of the students were snickering.

"Snakes in trouble," Fred said laughing.

" **You've got a new Seeker?" said Wood, distracted. "Where?"**

**And from behind the six large figures before them came a seventh, smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face. It was Draco Malfoy.**

"Of course," Tonks said.

" **Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" said Fred, looking at Malfoy with dislike.**

" **Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint as the whole Slytherin team smiled still more broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team."**

**All seven of them held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling the words Nimbus Two Thousand and One gleamed under the Gryffindors' noses in the early morning sun.**

"Bloody bought his way onto the team," Ron said loudly.

"I did not!" Draco protested.

Many snorts were heard.

"I'm sure you didn't," Ron snapped. "You got on all on your own pure talent...oh wait you don't have any!"

"Shut up you-" Draco snarled but he never finished his sentence for he was cut off my Dumbledore.

"Silence!" Dumbledore said loudly. "Please continue to read Mr. Finnigan."

Seamus nodded and looked back down at the book.

" **Very latest model. Only came out last month," said Flint carelessly, flicking a speck of dust from the end of his own. "I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps" — he smiled nastily at Fred and George, who were both clutching Cleansweep Fives — "sweeps the board with them."**

"It isn't the broom that matters, it's the rider," Charlie said shooting Draco a glare.

"Yeah, it doesn't really matter what broom you have," Harry said. "And besides we beat them anyway."

Draco scowled and Harry just smiled at him causing his scowl to deepen.

**None of the Gryffindor team could think of anything to say for a moment. Malfoy was smirking so broadly his cold eyes were reduced to slits.**

" **Oh, look," said Flint. "A field invasion."**

**Ron and Hermione were crossing the grass to see what was going on.**

"Of course we were," Hermione said. "We didn't know what was going on, or if Malfoy was going to try anything, and we didn't want Harry to get hurt."

"I can take care of myself you know," Harry told her.

"I know," Hermione assured him. "We're your best friends and we worry. Are you saying that if you saw a bunch of Slytherins around me and it looked like we were arguing you wouldn't come to see what was going on?"

"Of course I would," Harry said quickly.

"Exactly," Hermione said folding her arms across her chest.

"Mate, most of the members of the Slytherin team were twice your size," Ron said seriously.

"I know," Harry sighed.

" **What's happening?" Ron asked Harry. "Why aren't you playing? And what's he doing here?"**

**He was looking at Malfoy, taking in his Slytherin Quidditch robes.**

" **I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Malfoy, smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team."**

**Ron gaped, open-mouthed, at the seven superb broomsticks in front of him.**

"We have to admit they were nice looking," George said.

"But they don't hold a candle to Harry's firebolt," Fred said smugly.

" **Good, aren't they?" said Malfoy smoothly. "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them."**

"They're still decent brooms," Charlie said shooting a look at Draco.

**The Slytherin team howled with laughter.**

"It wasn't even funny," Alicia said.

"I agree," Fred said.

"We know funny, and that wasn't it," George said in agreement.

" **At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said Hermione sharply. "They got in on pure talent."**

"Go Hermione!" The Gryffindor table shouted.

"I wouldn't congratulate her just yet," Lisa said.

"Why not?" Sue Li asked.

"Something tells me that Malfoy won't take that lying down," Lisa said shooting a wary look at Draco.

**The smug look on Malfoy's face flickered.**

" **No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudbloods," he spat.**

The great hall went into an uproar, the only ones who didn't look angry were some of the Slytherins and Umbridge. Even Fudge flinched at the word and Snape's eyes narrowed onto Draco before his face once again turned mask like. All of Hermione's friends were shooting death glares at Draco and yelling insults. Draco was shrinking into his seat and paling drastically, he noticed even some of the Slytherins such as the Greengrass sisters were shooting him dirty looks.

"Mr. Malfoy how dare you use that foul word!" McGonagall shouted.

"That sort of language is not tolerated at Hogwarts!" The usually calm Sprout yelled.

"You piece of filth!" Susan yelled.

"How could you say that?" Hannah demanded.

"Someone needs to teach that boys some manners!" Molly said fiercely.

"Bloody bastard." Ron muttered, remembering how angry he was when he heard Draco say that word.

Harry and Ron each grabbed one of Hermione's hands in a comforting gesture, she gave them both a small smile.

After several minutes of loud yelling Dumbledore sent red sparks into the air.

"Silence!" Dumbledore yelled. "Everyone please return to your seats." Everyone slowly went back to their seats, although they were still shooting Draco dirty looks. "Now Mr. Malfoy I would appreciate it if you would refrain from using that word again. I said we can't take points or give detentions during the reading but I assure you, if you or anyone else uses that word at Hogwarts you will lose two hundred points and receive two weeks worth of detention. That kind of language and hatred is not allowed in these halls. Now Mr. Finnigan can you please continue."

 _'I'm going to be having a talk with that boy when this reading is over.'_ Snape thought while trying to keep calm. _'That word ruined my life and I will not allow it to be spoken by my godson, not even the know-it-all deserves to be called that. Draco is very, very lucky we can not hand out punishments during this reading.'_

Seamus shot Draco one last glare then began to read once more.

**Harry knew at once that Malfoy had said something really bad because there was an instant uproar at his words.**

"You didn't know what it meant?" Terry asked.

Harry shook his head. "No I didn't."

McGonagall pursed her lips. "I'm glad that you didn't, it isn't a word one uses in a civilized conversation."

**Flint had to dive in front of Malfoy to stop Fred and George jumping on him,**

"A Slytherin actually did something to save someone other than themselves?" Charlie asked. "I really didn't think they were capable of that." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well I guess the sayings true, you do learn something new every day."

The Slytherins shot him dark looks.

**Alicia shrieked, "How dare you!" and Ron plunged his hand into his robes, pulled out his wand, yelling, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" and pointed it furiously under Flint's arm at Malfoys face.**

"Ronald Weasley!" Molly gasped.

Ron didn't look the least bit sorry. "He deserved to be hexed after what he called Hermione, I'm not going to apologize for trying to hex him."

"What do you mean try?" Dean asked. "Didn't you do something?"

Ron winced while those who had been there laughed.

"Oh he did something alright," Fred said in amusement.

**A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green light shot out of the wrong end of Ron's wand, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backward onto the grass.**

"Oh no," Molly gasped looking at her youngest son.

" **Ron! Ron! Are you all right?" squealed Hermione.**

Hermione sighed. "I had no idea what spell you were trying to perform so I didn't know whether or not you were hurt."

**Ron opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth onto his lap.**

Several people looked as if they were going to puke while most of the students burst into laughter.

"Fred was right," Dean said through his laughter. "You did do something."

Ron scowled and turned crimson.

"I take it slugs are off the menu for tonight's dinner then?" Ginny asked then burst into laughter.

"It wasn't funny," Ron grumbled.

"Oh come on Ron," Harry said once he stopped laughing. "You know that if it had happened to anyone else you would find it hilarious."

**The Slytherin team were paralyzed with laughter. Flint was doubled up, hanging onto his new broomstick for support. Malfoy was on all fours, banging the ground with his fist. The Gryffindors were gathered around Ron, who kept belching large, glistening slugs. Nobody seemed to want to touch him.**

"No offense Ron but I wouldn't want to touch you either," Bill said honestly.

" **We'd better get him to Hagrid's, it's nearest," said Harry to Hermione, who nodded bravely, and the pair of them pulled Ron up by the arms.**

"Why Hagrid?" Leanne asked.

"You should've taken him to the hospital wing!" Molly said sternly.

"Yes you should've," Pomfrey said just as sternly.

"I wouldn't have gone," Ron said shaking his head. "I would've gotten into trouble for trying to hex Malfoy."

"Besides, Filch would've gave all of us detention for Ron belching slugs all over his precious floors," Harry pointed out.

Filch scowled at the trio while the students snickered at the absurd truth of Harry's statement.

" **What happened, Harry? What happened? Is he ill? But you can cure him, can't you?" Colin had run down from his seat and was now dancing alongside them as they left the field. Ron gave a huge heave and more slugs dribbled down his front.**

Parvarti and Lavender both looked ill.

" **Oooh," said Colin, fascinated and raising his camera. "Can you hold him still, Harry?"**

Everyone looked as if they were trying to contain laughter.

"I can't believe he wanted a picture of that!" Dean exclaimed trying to keep a straight face.

" **Get out of the way, Colin!" said Harry angrily. He and Hermione supported Ron out of the stadium and across the grounds toward the edge of the forest.**

" **Nearly there, Ron," said Hermione as the gamekeeper's cabin came into view. "You'll be all right in a minute — almost there —"**

**They were within twenty feet of Hagrid's house when the front door opened, but it wasn't Hagrid who emerged. Gilderoy Lockhart, wearing robes of palest mauve today, came striding out.**

"Oh no." Many people groaned.

"Not that idiot," Ginny hissed.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't let him anywhere near Ron," Harry said seriously.

"Thanks mate," Ron said sincerely. "He would've probably of just made it worse, cause it to be permanent or something."

" **Quick, behind here," Harry hissed, dragging Ron behind a nearby bush. Hermione followed, somewhat reluctantly.**

Hermione blushed. "At the time I didn't know that he was a fraud."

**"It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing!" Lockhart was saying loudly to Hagrid. "If you need help, you know where I am! I'll let you have a copy of my book. I'm surprised you haven't already got one**

"I'm not." The twins said together.

"Hagrid's smart enough to know that Lockhart's books are crap," Fred said.

— **I'll sign one tonight and send it over. Well, good-bye!" And he strode away toward the castle.**

**Harry waited until Lockhart was out of sight, then pulled Ron out of the bush and up to Hagrid's front door. They knocked urgently.**

**Hagrid appeared at once, looking very grumpy, but his expression brightened when he saw who it was.**

"I thought that idiot had come back," Hagrid said.

Umbridge wrote something quickly down. _'The teachers at this school are so disrespectful towards such a good man.'_

" **Bin wonderin' when you'd come ter see me — come in, come in — thought you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again —"**

"Lockhart coming to talk to me would make me grumpy as well," Roger Davies said.

**Harry and Hermione supported Ron over the threshold into the one-roomed cabin, which had an enormous bed in one corner, a fire crackling merrily in the other. Hagrid didn't seem perturbed by Ron's slug problem, which Harry hastily explained as he lowered Ron into a chair.**

" **Better out than in," he said cheerfully, plunking a large copper basin in front of him. "Get 'em all up, Ron."**

"That's really all you can do with that spell," Bill said. "You just have to wait for all the slugs to come up."

Fleur wrinkled her nose.

" **I don't think there's anything to do except wait for it to stop," said Hermione anxiously, watching Ron bend over the basin. "That's a difficult curse to work at the best of times, but with a broken wand —"**

"Were you saying I couldn't of done it anyways?" Ron asked indignantly.

"No!" Hermione said hurriedly. "I'm just saying that it isn't an easy spell to get right with a working wand, your wand was broken, it wouldn't have worked right for anyone."

"You guys stop." Harry said when it looked like Ron was going to come out with a retort.

Hermione huffed and Ron scowled.

**Hagrid was bustling around making them tea. His boar hound, Fang, was slobbering over Harry.**

" **What did Lockhart want with you, Hagrid?" Harry asked, scratching Fang's ears.**

" **Givin' me advice on gettin' kelpies out of a well,"**

"Like that git would know how to do that," Dean scoffed.

"Although you could've asked him to show you how and then you could've accidently have pushed him into the well," Fred said with a wistful smile.

**growled Hagrid, moving a half-plucked rooster off his scrubbed table and setting down the teapot. "Like I don' know. An' bangin' on about some banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'll eat my kettle."**

**It was most unlike Hagrid to criticize a Hogwarts' teacher, and Harry looked at him in surprise. Hermione, however, said in a voice somewhat higher than usual, "I think you're being a bit unfair. Professor Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best man for the job —"**

"He was the only man for the job," McGonagall said stiffly.

"Gilderoy Lockhart is a very accomplished wizard," Umbridge said snootily.

All of the students turned to give her incredulous looks, even the Slytherins were looking at her like she was mental.

Harry snorted. "He set a cage full of cornish pixies loose, that's not accomplished that idiotic."

Umbridge narrowed her eyes on Harry. "You should treat your betters with respect Mr. Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes.

**"He was the on'y man for the job," said Hagrid, offering them a plate of treacle fudge, while Ron coughed squelchy into his basin. "An' I mean the on'y one. Gettin' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts job.**

"Why?" Dennis asked.

**People aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They're startin' ter think it's jinxed.**

"Indeed it is," Dumbledore sighed. "And it has been for many years."

"Is there no way to remove the curse?" Kingsley asked.

"Defense is an important subject," Moody grunted. "Especially during these times."

"There is one." Dumbledore said his eyes looking around the hall before settling on Harry.

"What is it?" Charlie asked.

Dumbledore didn't look like he was going to answer so Seamus continued to read.

**No one's lasted long fer a while now. So tell me," said Hagrid, jerking his head at Ron. "Who was he tryin' ter curse?"**

" **Malfoy called Hermione something — it must've been really bad, because everyone went wild."**

"It is really bad," Justin said shooting a glare at Draco.

" **It was bad," said Ron hoarsely, emerging over the tabletop looking pale and sweaty. "Malfoy called her 'Mudblood,' Hagrid —"**

**Ron dived out of sight again as a fresh wave of slugs made their appearance. Hagrid looked outraged.**

"Of course I did," Hagrid said. "No one should use that horrible word."

" **He didn'!" he growled at Hermione.**

" **He did," she said. "But I don't know what it means. I could tell it was really rude, of course —"**

"I'll admit that I'm surprised you didn't know what it meant," Remus told her. "Although I am glad you hadn't heard it before then."

"And here I thought you knew everything Hermione," Ginny teased.

"The only way she would've heard the word is if someone had called her it or she read it in a book," Bill said. "However all of the books that have that word in it aren't in the Hogwarts library."

**"It's about the most insulting thing he could think of," gasped Ron, coming back up. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born — you know, non-magic parents. There are some wizards — like Malfoy's family — who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood." He gave a small burp, and a single slug fell into his outstretched hand. He threw it into the basin and continued, "I mean, the rest of us know it doesn't make any difference at all. Look at Neville Longbottom — he's pure-blood and he can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up."**

"Thanks," Neville said.

"Ronald!" Molly admonished.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Ron exclaimed. "I just meant..."

"It's okay really," Neville said chuckling.

" **An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can' do," said Hagrid proudly, making Hermione go a brilliant shade of magenta.**

"That's true," Harry said proudly. "Our Hermione can do anything."

"You got that right," Ron said seriously.

Hermione blushed. "Thanks."

" **It's a disgusting thing to call someone," said Ron, wiping his sweaty brow with a shaking hand. "Dirty blood, see. Common blood. It's ridiculous. Most wizards these days are half-blood anyway. If we hadn't married Muggles we'd've died out."**

"Exactly," Arthur said. "Everyone has at least some muggle blood in them, it's impossible not to or else there would be no pureblood families left, they would've died out."

Those who pride themselves on being a pureblood sneered.

**He retched and ducked out of sight again.**

" **Well, I don' blame yeh fer tryin' ter curse him, Ron," said Hagrid loudly over the thuds of more slugs hitting the basin. "Bu' maybe it was a good thing yer wand backfired. 'Spect Lucius Malfoy would've come marchin' up ter school if yeh'd cursed his son. Least yer not in trouble."**

"Some things are worth it Hagrid," Harry said.

Hermione shook her head. "No Ron, it's good you didn't hit him with it or you would've been in a lot of trouble."

Ron looked at Hermione. "Like Harry said, some things are worth it. I know I speak for Harry as well when I say that your definitely worth it." Harry nodded.

Hermione blushed and grabbed one of each of her best friends' hands. "Thank you," she said quietly.

**Harry would have pointed out that trouble didn't come much worse than having slugs pouring out of your mouth, but he couldn't; Hagrid's treacle fudge had cemented his jaws together.**

"Harry." Those who tried Hagrid's cooking said exasperated.

"Never eat his cooking." Charlie said before looking quickly at Hagrid. "No offense! It's just your cooking is meant for half-giants, it's hard for us to eat."

"I know what yah mean Charlie, it's alright," Hagrid assured him.

**"Harry," said Hagrid abruptly as though struck by a sudden thought. "Gotta bone ter pick with yeh. I've heard you've bin givin' out signed photos. How come I haven't got one?"**

Snape turned to Hagrid and sneered. "You've got to be joking."

Molly frowned. "You better be teasing, you know he doesn't like his fame."

**Furious, Harry wrenched his teeth apart.**

" **I have not been giving out signed photos," he said hotly. "If Lockhart's still spreading that around —"**

**But then he saw that Hagrid was laughing.**

Fred and George snickered.

"That was a good one," Fred said to the half-giant.

" **I'm on'y jokin'," he said, patting Harry genially on the back and sending him face first into the table. "I knew yeh hadn't really. I told Lockhart yeh didn' need teh. Yer more famous than him without tryin'."**

"Of course he is," Ron said.

"I bet Lockhart didn't like that," Demelza said.

" **Bet he didn't like that," said Harry, sitting up and rubbing his chin.**

" **Don' think he did," said Hagrid, his eyes twinkling. "An' then I told him I'd never read one o' his books an' he decided ter go. Treacle fudge, Ron?" he added as Ron reappeared.**

"I wouldn't if I were you," Charlie said. "Can you image burping slugs while your teeth are glued together?"

Most of the girls in the hall looked green at the image.

" **No thanks," said Ron weakly. "Better not risk it."**

" **Come an' see what I've bin growin'," said Hagrid as Harry and Hermione finished the last of their tea.**

**In the small vegetable patch behind Hagrid's house were a dozen of the largest pumpkins Harry had ever seen. Each was the size of a large boulder.**

"Something tell me your using more than your normal fertilizer on those," Charlie said with a smirk.

" **Gettin' on well, aren't they?" said Hagrid happily. "Fer the Halloween feast… should be big enough by then."**

" **What've you been feeding them?" said Harry.**

**Hagrid looked over his shoulder to check that they were alone.**

" **Well, I've bin givin' them — you know — a bit o' help —"**

Umbridge and Fudge both glared at Hagrid.

**Harry noticed Hagrid's flowery pink umbrella leaning against the back wall of the cabin.**

**Harry had had reason to believe before now that this umbrella was not all it looked; in fact, he had the strong impression that Hagrid's old school wand was concealed inside it. Hagrid wasn't supposed to use magic. He had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, but Harry had never found out why**

Harry smirked.

"You find out don't you?" Neville asked.

"Of course," Ron said smugly.

— **any mention of the matter and Hagrid would clear his throat loudly and become mysteriously deaf until the subject was changed.**

**"An Engorgement Charm, I suppose?" said Hermione, halfway between disapproval and amusement.** **"Well, you've done a good job on them."**

" **That's what yer little sister said," said Hagrid, nodding at Ron. "Met her jus' yesterday." Hagrid looked sideways at Harry, his beard twitching. "Said she was jus' lookin' round the grounds, but I reckon she was hopin' she might run inter someone else at my house." He winked at Harry. "If yeh ask me, she wouldn' say no ter a signed —"**

Ginny paled as she remembered the real reason she had been there.

**"Oh, shut up," said Harry. Ron snorted with laughter and the ground was sprayed with slugs.**

"I think I'm going to be sick," Astoria said quietly.

Daphne looked at her little sister. _'Screw what Malfoy or anyone else thinks.'_ She then began rubbing small circles on her younger sisters back, Astoria shot her a small grateful smile.

" **Watch it!" Hagrid roared, pulling Ron away from his precious pumpkins.**

Fred and George snickered.

**It was nearly lunchtime and as Harry had only had one bit of treacle fudge since dawn, he was keen to go back to school to eat. They said good-bye to Hagrid and walked back up to the castle, Ron hiccoughing occasionally, but only bringing up two very small slugs.**

"Well at least it's almost over," Bill said.

Ron winced. "Not quite." He remembers belching up all over Tom Riddle's award.

**They had barely set foot in the cool entrance hall when a voice rang out, "There you are, Potter — Weasley." Professor McGonagall was walking toward them, looking stern. "You will both do your detentions this evening."**

"They better not be doing another detention in the forbidden forest," Remus said with a sharp look.

"I never again gave them another detention in the forest," McGonagall said.

"I would've rather gone into the forest," Harry muttered.

Those around heard his muttering and shot him confused looks.

"What could be worse than the forest?" Neville asked incredulously.

"You'll see," Harry sighed.

" **What're we doing, Professor?" said Ron, nervously suppressing a burp.**

" **You will be polishing the silver in the trophy room with Mr. Filch," said Professor McGonagall. "And no magic, Weasley — elbow grease."**

**Ron gulped. Argus Filch, the caretaker, was loathed by every student in the school.**

Filch who had been glaring at nothing in particular switched his glare to Ron.

" **And you, Potter, will be helping Professor Lockhart answer his fan mail," said Professor McGonagall.**

Harry was shot many sympathetic looks.

"You're right, that is worse than the forest," Neville said seriously.

"I thought Hogwarts banned torture?" Tonks asked causing everyone in the hall to laugh.

"I wouldn't consider that torture Miss Tonks," McGonagall said giving her a look.

" **Oh n — Professor, can't I go and do the trophy room, too?" said Harry desperately.**

" **Certainly not," said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows. "Professor Lockhart requested you particularly.**

"Of course he did," Harry muttered. "Me and my horrible luck."

**Eight o'clock sharp, both of you."**

**Harry and Ron slouched into the Great Hall in states of deepest gloom, Hermione behind them, wearing a well-you-did-break-school-rules sort of expression. Harry didn't enjoy his shepherd's pie as much as he'd thought. Both he and Ron felt they'd got the worse deal.**

"Harry definitely got the worse deal," Dean said.

"I did," Harry said. "I would've rather had detention with Snape for a week than one day of detention with Lockhart."

Snape raised an eyebrow at Harry. "Oh really Mr. Potter?"

Harry shrugged. "He's horrible."

**"Filch'll have me there all night," said Ron heavily. "No magic! There must be about a hundred cups in that room. I'm no good at Muggle cleaning."**

"Precisely why it's such a good punishment," McGonagall said. "Detention isn't meant to be fun."

" **I'd swap anytime," said Harry hollowly. "I've had loads of practice with the Dursleys.**

Glares were sent towards the book at the mention of the cupboard.

**Answering Lockhart's fan mail… he'll be a nightmare…"**

**Saturday afternoon seemed to melt away, and in what seemed like no time, it was five minutes to eight, and Harry was dragging his feet along the second-floor corridor to Lockhart's office. He gritted his teeth and knocked.**

**The door flew open at once. Lockhart beamed down at him.**

" **Ah, here's the scalawag!" he said.**

Many people snorted.

"Scalawag?" Fred asked looking at the book in disbelief.

"What is he a pirate?" George asked in amusement.

" **Come in, Harry, come in —"**

**Shining brightly on the walls by the light of many candles were countless framed photographs of Lockhart. He had even signed a few of them. Another large pile lay on his desk.**

Most of the boys in the hall looked sick.

"His office sounds horrible," Dennis said.

"It was," Harry said dryly.

"I wonder if that's what hell looks like?" Fred asked nonchalantly.

The hall burst into laughter at Fred's words.

" **You can address the envelopes!" Lockhart told Harry, as though this was a huge treat.**

"That's my idea of fun," Cormac said sarcastically.

" **This first one's to Gladys Gudgeon, bless her — huge fan of mine —"**

**The minutes snailed by. Harry let Lockhart's voice wash over him, occasionally saying, "Mmm" and "Right" and "Yeah." Now and then he caught a phrase like, "Fame's a fickle friend, Harry," or "Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that."**

"What the hell does that mean?" Roger asked.

"I have no idea," Harry said. "I wasn't even listening to him talk."

**The candles burned lower and lower, making the light dance over the many moving faces of Lockhart watching him. Harry moved his aching hand over what felt like the thousandth envelope, writing out Veronica Smethley's address. It must be nearly time to leave, Harry thought miserably, please let it be nearly time…**

"How long did he keep you?" Bill asked.

"Four hours," Harry told him.

"Four hours of Lockhart?" Dean winced. "I feel bad for you."

**And then he heard something — something quite apart from the spitting of the dying candles and Lockhart's prattle about his fans.**

**It was a voice, a voice to chill the bone marrow, a voice of breathtaking, ice-cold venom.**

"What?" A Hufflepuff first year asked nervously.

" **Come…Come to me…Let me rip you...Let me tear you...Let me kill you…"**

"What?" Everyone yelled.

"It's true!" Umbridge yelled pointing at Harry. "He's crazy! He's hearing voices!"

"I wasn't hearing things!" Harry snapped. "It will be explained in the end why I could hear it speaking!"

Fudge grabbed Umbridge's arm and pulled her down.

**Harry gave a huge jump and a large lilac blot appeared on Veronica Smethley's street.**

"Lilac?" Dean asked. "He made you use lilac colored ink?"

"It's his favorite color remember?" Harry said.

Dean wrinkled his nose. "Oh yeah, that's right."

" **What?" he said loudly.**

" **I know!" said Lockhart. "Six solid months at the top of the best-seller list! Broke all records!"**

"I don't think Harry cares about your bloody book," Ron said.

"I don't," Harry said sounding aggravated.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked quietly.

Harry looked at her. "Uh I don't know...it's nothing."

Hermione gave him a 'I'm not stupid you know' look but didn't say anything else.

" **No," said Harry frantically. "That voice!"**

" **Sorry?" said Lockhart, looking puzzled. "What voice?"**

" **That — that voice that said — didn't you hear it?"**

**Lockhart was looking at Harry in high astonishment.**

"He couldn't hear the voice?" Dean asked.

Harry sighed. "I told you guys, I wasn't crazy. It will all be explained by the end of the book."

" **What are you talking about, Harry? Perhaps you're getting a little drowsy? Great Scott — look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours! I'd never have believed it — the time's flown, hasn't it?"**

**Harry didn't answer. He was straining his ears to hear the voice again, but there was no sound now except for Lockhart telling him he mustn't expect a treat like this every time he got detention.**

Harry snorted. "That wasn't what I consider a treat."

"What do you consider it?" Fred asked amused.

"Torture," Harry said seriously.

Those who heard him laughed.

**Feeling dazed, Harry left.**

**It was so late that the Gryffindor common room was almost empty. Harry went straight up to the dormitory.**

**Ron wasn't back yet.**

"It's been four hours!" Molly exclaimed. "Why aren't you back yet?"

"I didn't get done till almost one," Ron said moodily.

**Harry pulled on his pajamas, got into bed, and waited. Half an hour later, Ron arrived, nursing his right arm and bringing a strong smell of polish into the darkened room.**

" **My muscles have all seized up," he groaned, sinking on his bed. "Fourteen times he made me buff up that Quidditch cup before he was satisfied. And then I had another slug attack all over a Special Award for Services to the School.**

"I bet Filch didn't like that," Fred sniggered.

"I didn't," Filch snapped.

The look on Filch's face caused the twins to burst into laughter.

**Took ages to get the slime off… How was it with Lockhart?"**

**Keeping his voice low so as not to wake Neville, Dean, and Seamus, Harry told Ron exactly what he had heard.**

"We're always out of the loop," Dean said.

"After reading about what they did during first year, I'm perfectly content with being out of the loop," Neville said.

"Ah come on Nev," Harry said in amusement. "Are you telling me that you don't miss Fluffy?"

Neville blanched. "No way!"

The Gryffindor table began laughing at the horrified look on Neville's face and the amused looks on the trios.

" **And Lockhart said he couldn't hear it?" said Ron. Harry could see him frowning in the moonlight. "D'you think he was lying? But I don't get it — even someone invisible would've had to open the door."**

" **I know," said Harry, lying back in his four-poster and staring at the canopy above him. "I don't get it either."**

"I'm done," Seamus said.

"I'll read next!" Colin said excitedly.

Seamus nodded and handed the hyper fourth year the book.


	8. The Deathday Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay, spent the last couple of days sorting out summer accommodation at university

Colin took the book and began to read looking much too excited in Harry's opinion. **"The Deathday Party."**

"Well that sounds ominous," Tonks said.

"I've always wanted to go to a deathday party," Luna said in an ethereal voice.

Many people shot the eccentric Ravenclaw odd looks.

"Uh...what exactly is a deathday party?" Dean asked looking confused.

"It's a party where a ghost celebrates the day that they died," Hermione told the hall.

Dean didn't look any less confused after her explanation, but before he or anyone else could ask further question, Colin had begun to read.

**October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students.**

"I'm glad I never get sick," Harry said. "I don't want to spend anymore time in the hospital wing than I already do."

"What do you mean you never get sick?" Hermione asked. "Everyone does."

Harry shrugged. "I don't remember ever getting a cold or anything."

"But-" Hermione began to say but Pomfrey cut her off.

"Growing up the way Mr. Potter did, his magic most likely worked in overdrive to keep him healthy," Pomfrey said with pursed lips.

"Oh," Hermione said quietly.

**Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward. Ginny Weasley, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking some by Percy. The steam pouring from under her vivid hair gave the impression that her whole head was on fire.**

Several people snorted.

"Thanks Harry," Ginny said sarcastically.

**Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds.**

Hagrid beamed, he really did love those pumpkins.

**Oliver Wood's enthusiasm for regular training sessions, however, was not dampened,**

"Of course not." Angelina, Alicia and Katie all said dryly.

"Any weather is quidditch weather," Oliver said stubbornly.

"We couldn't even see two feet in front of us." Alicia said slowly as if explaining that two plus two made four to a toddler.

Oliver gave her a look that quite plainly said, 'and your point is?' The three chasers sighed in resignation.

**which was why Harry was to be found, late one stormy Saturday afternoon a few days before Halloween, returning to Gryffindor Tower, drenched to the skin and splattered with mud.**

"You better hope Filch doesn't see you," Fred said.

"Yeah he hates it when students drag mud onto his precious floors," George told him.

**Even aside from the rain and wind it hadn't been a happy practice session. Fred and George, who had been spying on the Slytherin team,**

The Slytherin quidditch team shot glares at the twins who grinned sheepishly in return.

"Misters Weasley!" McGonagall exclaimed.

Umbridge smiled a twisted smile. "Well it looks like it's a good thing I banned those two from playing quidditch, cheating is not very nice boys."

Fred and George shot Umbridge dirty looks, so did most of Gryffindor house.

**had seen for themselves the speed of those new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. They reported that the Slytherin team was no more than seven greenish blurs, shooting through the air like missiles.**

"Speed isn't everything." Charlie said. "Instinct, maneuverability, natural talent, practice, all of that is just as important."

**As Harry squelched along the deserted corridor he came across somebody who looked just as preoccupied as he was. Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor Tower, was staring morosely out of a window, muttering under his breath, "… don't fulfill their requirements… half an inch, if that…"**

Remus, Bill and Charlie all started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Mandy asked.

"Nick has wanted to join the headless hunt for as long as I can remember," Remus said chuckling.

"The what?" Sue Li asked.

"You'll see," Harry said before Remus had a chance to go into lecture mode.

" **Hello, Nick," said Harry.**

" **Hello, hello," said Nearly Headless Nick, starting and looking round. He wore a dashing, plumed hat on his long curly hair, and a tunic with a ruff, which concealed the fact that his neck was almost completely severed. He was pale as smoke, and Harry could see right through him to the dark sky and torrential rain outside.**

" **You look troubled, young Potter," said Nick, folding a transparent letter as he spoke and tucking it inside his doublet.**

"Ghosts can write letters?" Dennis asked.

"Yes." Several members of the staff said.

"I didn't know that." Many of the students muttered.

" **So do you," said Harry.**

"Always such a sweet little boy you are," Molly said sweetly.

The boys in the hall snickered while Harry blushed crimson.

" **Ah," Nearly Headless Nick waved an elegant hand, "a matter of no importance… It's not as though I really wanted to join… Thought I'd apply, but apparently I don't fulfill requirements —"** **In spite of his airy tone, there was a look of great bitterness on his face.**

"How can he be disappointed? He's asked every year for over five hundred years," Charlie said incredulously, trying to keep a straight face.

"Well he is a ghost, it's not like he has anything else to look forward to," Bill said with a shrug.

" **But you would think, wouldn't you," he erupted suddenly, pulling the letter back out of his pocket, "that getting hit forty-five times in the neck with a blunt axe would qualify you to join the Headless Hunt?"**

"Forty-five times?" Parvarti asked looking pale.

"Do you think he was alive the entire time?" Ron asked loudly, causing all the girls to turn green.

"I hope not," Neville said with a shudder.

"That axe must've been incredibly dull," Dean commented.

"Or maybe the executioner wasn't strong enough to get a good swing in," Fred said.

"Or-" George began but he was cut off.

"Stop!" Hermione exclaimed. "That is disgusting!"

" **Oh — yes," said Harry, who was obviously supposed to agree.**

"Saint Potter is even polite to bloody ghosts," Draco muttered.

" **I mean, nobody wishes more than I do that it had all been quick and clean, and my head had come off properly, I mean, it would have saved me a great deal of pain and ridicule.**

Neville winced. "I take it he didn't die right away."

**However—" Nearly Headless Nick shook his letter open and read furiously:**

"' **We can only accept huntsmen whose heads have parted company with their bodies. You will appreciate that it would be impossible otherwise for members to participate in hunt activities such as Horseback Head-Juggling and Head Polo.**

"Well they do have a point," Ron said tactlessly.

"I don't think I even want to know what head polo is," Lavender shuddered.

**It is with the greatest regret, therefore, that I must inform you that you do not fulfill our requirements. With very best wishes, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore.'"**

**Fuming, Nearly Headless Nick stuffed the letter away.**

" **Half an inch of skin and sinew holding my neck on, Harry! Most people would think that's good and beheaded, but oh, no, it's not enough for Sir Properly Decapitated-Podmore."**

The room burst out laughing.

"That's a good one," Fred said between bouts of laughter.

**Nearly Headless Nick took several deep breaths and then said, in a far calmer tone, "So — what's bothering you? Anything I can do?"**

" **No," said Harry. "Not unless you know where we can get seven free Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones for our match against Sly—"**

**The rest of Harry's sentence was drowned out by a high-pitched mewling from somewhere near his ankles.**

"Mrs. Norris!" Many students exclaimed.

"Run!" Justin yelled.

**He looked down and found himself gazing into a pair of lamp-like yellow eyes. It was Mrs. Norris, the skeletal gray cat who was used by the caretaker, Argus Filch, as a sort of deputy in his endless battle against students.**

"Endless battle against students?" Hermione asked amused. "A little dramatic don't you think?"

Harry shot her a mock glare.

" **You'd better get out of here, Harry," said Nick quickly. "Filch isn't in a good mood —**

Fred and George snorted.

"He's never in a good mood," George said.

"Yeah," Fred agreed. "He's always a great prat."

"Fred! George!" Molly yelled.

Filch glared at the twins, and of course this didn't bother them in the slightest.

**he's got the flu and some third years accidentally plastered frog brains all over the ceiling in dungeon five.**

"Potions accident?" Tonks asked in amusement.

"If it had been I assure you that the one who caused it would've been made to clean it up themselves, all night if necessary," Snape drawled.

"It would probably someone who wanted to make more work for Filch," Charlie said with a quick glance at his twin brothers.

"Wasn't us!" Fred and George both protested.

"But it does sound like a brilliant idea," Fred said with a far away look on his face.

"Don't even think about it!" Molly, Snape, McGonagall and Filch all said at the same time.

Ron wrinkled his nose and shuddered. "Mum said the same thing as Filch and Snape."

Those who heard Ron snickered.

**He's been cleaning all morning, and if he sees you dripping mud all over the place —"**

"He won't be very happy," Anthony said, pointing out the obvious.

" **Right," said Harry, backing away from the accusing stare of Mrs. Norris, but not quickly enough. Drawn to the spot by the mysterious power that seemed to connect him with his foul cat,**

"How does that work?" Michael asked. "Filch always seems to know where that blasted cat is."

"Mrs. Norris is his familiar, that erects its own unique bond." Dumbledore informed the students.

The student body turned to stare at Filch who glared at everyone while holding Mrs. Norris close to his chest.

Parvarti wrinkled her nose. "That's sort of creepy," she whispered to Lavender.

**Argus Filch burst suddenly through a tapestry to Harry's right, wheezing and looking wildly about for the rule-breaker.**

"He likes his job a little too much," Fleur said with a sniff.

**There was a thick tartan scarf bound around his head, and his nose was unusually purple.**

"Ew." Many of the students said.

" **Filth!" he shouted, his jowls aquiver, his eyes popping alarmingly as he pointed at the muddy puddle that had dripped from Harry's Quidditch robes. "Mess and muck everywhere! I've had enough of it, I tell you! Follow me, Potter!"**

"He's acting like Harry was dripping mud everywhere on purpose," Hermione said shooting Filch a sharp look. "He was coming from quidditch practice."

"Yeah, if it's anyones fault it's Oliver's," Fred said cheerfully.

"What?" Oliver yelled.

The look on his face caused the hall to break into more laughter.

**So Harry waved a gloomy good-bye to Nearly Headless Nick and followed Filch back downstairs, doubling the number of muddy footprints on the floor. Harry had never been inside Filch's office before;**

"I'm disappointed in you," Fred said through fake tears.

"How could you have never been sent to Filch's office before?" George asked looking scandalized.

Harry rolled his eyes at the twins antics, but a small smile graced his lips anyway.

**it was a place most students avoided. The room was dingy and windowless, lit by a single oil lamp dangling from the low ceiling. A faint smell of fried fish lingered about the place.**

"That's disgusting," Marietta squealed.

**Wooden filing cabinets stood around the walls; from their labels, Harry could see that they contained details of every pupil Filch had ever punished.**

"The contents of those file cabinets are probably his most prized possessions," Ron muttered.

Harry heard and let out a snort.

**Fred and George Weasley had an entire drawer to themselves.**

The twins broke out into large grins and high fived each other.

"Boys, that's nothing to be proud of," Molly said sternly.

"Besides, it's not the record," Remus said, his lips twitching. "Harry's father, his godfather and myself each had a drawer to ourselves."

"Remus!" McGonagall hissed. "Don't encourage him!"

The hall broke into laughter.

"Who knew that Professor Lupin was once a trouble maker?" Hannah said through giggles.

Umbridge glared at Remus. _'Of course the filthy half-breed was a trouble maker.'_

**A highly polished collection of chains and manacles hung on the wall behind Filch's desk.**

Fleur blanched. "What is wrong with that man."

Bill looked at his girlfriend. "Everything."

**It was common knowledge that he was always begging Dumbledore to let him suspend students by their ankles from the ceiling.**

"Sadistic much," Padma said looking at Filch warily.

"I would never allow that to happen," Dumbledore said firmly.

The twins and trio's eyes met.

"If the toad gets her way I'm sure Filch will be getting his wish real soon," Harry whispered to the twins and his best friends.

Fred and George blanched, they turned to look at each other, silently conversing with one another through looks. They decided then and there that if the toad gets her way they're going to leave Hogwarts with a bang.

**Filch grabbed a quill from a pot on his desk and began shuffling around looking for parchment.**

" **Dung," he muttered furiously, "great sizzling dragon bogies…**

Lavender and Parvarti wrinkled their noses.

"That's a phrase I've never heard and never care to again," Cho said with a repulsed look.

**frog brains… rat intestines… I've had enough of it… make an example… where's the form… yes…"**

"Of course he'd choose me to make an example out of," Harry muttered.

**He retrieved a large roll of parchment from his desk drawer and stretched it out in front of him, dipping his long black quill into the ink pot.**

" **Name… Harry Potter. Crime…"**

Half of the hall snorted.

"Crime?" Terry asked incredulously.

"All he did was get the floor a little muddy after quidditch practice," Anthony said indignantly. "He's acting as though he killed his cat."

" **It was only a bit of mud!" said Harry.**

" **It's only a bit of mud to you, boy, but to me it's an extra hour scrubbing!" shouted Filch,**

"But that's his job!" Angelina, Katie and Alicia exclaimed.

"And besides I highly doubt Harry is the only student to get mud on the floors, seeing as it was raining," Alicia said shooting Filch a cold look.

**a drip shivering unpleasantly at the end of his bulbous nose. "Crime… befouling the castle…**

"Befouling the castle?" Ginny yelled. "He's finally lost it."

"Ginny!" Molly admonished at the same time McGonagall yelled. "Miss Weasley!"

Filch shot Ginny a dirty look and began muttering under his breath about disrespectful students.

**suggested sentence…"**

Harry rolled his eyes.

**Dabbing at his streaming nose, Filch squinted unpleasantly at Harry who waited with bated breath for his sentence to fall.**

"You're acting as though he's going to send you to the gallows," Hermione said trying not to laugh.

"You were a little drama queen back then weren't you?" Ron said, his lips twitching.

Harry sent both of his best friends glares but the effect was ruined by his lips quirking into a smile.

**But as Filch lowered his quill, there was a great BANG! on the ceiling of the office, which made the oil lamp rattle.**

" **PEEVES!" Filch roared, flinging down his quill in a transport of rage. "I'll have you this time, I'll have you!"**

Kingsley raised his eyebrows. "That was good timing."

"Suspicious," Moody grunted. "The timing is too perfect."

"You are so paranoid," Tonks said rolling her eyes.

"No, I'm just vigilant!" Moody barked.

"If vigilant means paranoid then yes you are," Tonks muttered.

"I heard that," Moody said gruffly.

Fred and George snickered. "What does Moody have a magic ear now as well as an eye?" Fred asked quietly.

"I heard that Weasley!" Moody yelled causing both twins to jump.

The hall broke into laughter at the look on Fred and George's faces.

**And without a backward glance at Harry, Filch ran flat-footed from the office, Mrs. Norris streaking alongside him.**

"Run Harry, run!" Fred and George yelled.

"You do realize who you're talking to don't you?" Neville asked. "Harry won't do that."

Fred and George both sighed exaggeratedly. "You're right." Both twins said.

**Peeves was the school poltergeist, a grinning, airborne menace who lived to cause havoc and distress. Harry didn't much like Peeves, but couldn't help feeling grateful for his timing. Hopefully, whatever Peeves had done (and it sounded as though he'd wrecked something very big this time) would distract Filch from Harry.**

"Filch is obsessed with getting Peeves kicked out," George said.

"But it will never work," Fred said smiling.

Filch scowled. "Bloody airborne menace, always causing a great big mess, horrible," Filch began muttering.

**Thinking that he should probably wait for Filch to come back, Harry sank into a moth-eaten chair next to the desk.**

"You're really such a good boy," Molly cooed.

"I can't believe you actually stayed," Ron said shaking his head.

**There was only one thing on it apart from his half-completed form: a large, glossy, purple envelope with silver lettering on the front. With a quick glance at the door to check that Filch wasn't on his way back, Harry picked up the envelope and read:**

The students burst into laughter while the adults sent Harry reprimanding looks.

Filch sent him a dirty look. "I knew it! I knew you read that!"

Umbridge scribbled something on her clipboard.

**Kwikspell**

**A Correspondence Course in Beginners' Magic.**

"Why would he have that?" Parvarti asked.

"Because he's a squib." Ron said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ronald!" "Mr. Weasley!"

The students were snickering and Ron had turned red, realizing he had said that out loud.

"I don't know why he bothered with that, you can't learn magic if you don't have it," Charlie said, he was clearly amused.

"Charlie!" Molly yelled.

Charlie shrugged, not looking at all apologetic.

**Intrigued, Harry flicked the envelope open and pulled out the sheaf of parchment inside. More curly silver writing on the front page said:**

**Feel out of step in the world of modern magic? Find yourself making excuses not to perform simple spells? Ever been taunted for your woeful wand work?**

**There is an answer!**

**Kwikspell is an all-new, fail-safe, quick-result, easy-learn course. Hundreds of witches and wizards have benefited from the Kwikspell method!**

"Somehow I doubt that," Ron said trying to fight of laughter.

**Madam Z. Nettles of Topsham writes:**

" **I had no memory for incantations and my potions were a family joke! Now, after a Kwikspell course, I am the center of attention at parties and friends beg for the recipe of my Scintillation Solution!"**

**Warlock D. J. Prod of Didsbury says:**

" **My wife used to sneer at my feeble charms, but one month into your fabulous Kwikspell course and I succeeded in turning her into a yak! Thank you, Kwikspell!"**

The hall once again broke into fits of laughter.

"He turned his wife into a yak?" Fred wheezed out.

"That is hilarious!" George said, although he was barely understandable he was laughing so hard.

"What a sweet man," Hermione said with a sniff.

**Fascinated, Harry thumbed through the rest of the envelope's contents. Why on earth did Filch want a Kwikspell course? Did this mean he wasn't a proper wizard? Harry was just reading Lesson One: Holding Your Wand (Some Useful Tips) when shuffling footsteps outside told him Filch was coming back. Stuffing the parchment back into the envelope, Harry threw it back onto the desk just as the door opened.**

**Filch was looking triumphant.**

" **That vanishing cabinet was extremely valuable!"**

"Vanishing cabinet?" Moody said looking even more alert than usual. "Wasn't a vanishing cabinet mentioned earlier? Potter saw one in Borgin and Burkes didn't he?"

The adults all exchanged looks.

"Yes, I believe he did," Amelia said.

"We need to look into that," Moody said with both eyes focused on the book. "Someone might be able to use the one in Borgin and Burkes to enter Hogwarts if they're connected."

The staff exchanged worried looks.

"I will definitely look into it Alastor," Dumbledore said.

**he was saying gleefully to Mrs. Norris. "We'll have Peeves out this time, my sweet —"**

"Am I the only one who finds it creepy that he calls Mrs. Norris my sweet?" Neville said quietly.

"No." Everyone who heard him said.

"I find it bloody disturbing," Ron muttered.

**His eyes fell on Harry and then darted to the Kwikspell envelope, which, Harry realized too late, was lying two feet away from where it had started.**

"Amateur mistake." Fred and George both said.

"You always make sure everything is back exactly where the person left it," George said.

"I'll remember that for next time," Harry assured them.

"There better not be a next time." Molly and McGonagall both said.

**Filch's pasty face went brick red. Harry braced himself for a tidal wave of fury. Filch hobbled across to his desk, snatched up the envelope, and threw it into a drawer.**

" **Have you — did you read —?" he sputtered.**

"Uh oh," Fred said.

"Filch is so made he isn't even forming coherent sentences," George said.

" **No," Harry lied quickly.**

The twins snorted and shook their heads.

"He won't believe that." Fred and George said together.

**Filch's knobby hands were twisting together.**

" **If I thought you'd read my private —not that it's mine — for a friend — be that as it may — however —"**

"For a friend?" Dean asked incredulously. "I doubt that."

"He wouldn't be that mad if it wasn't his," Euan said.

**Harry was staring at him, alarmed; Filch had never looked madder. His eyes were popping, a tic was going in one of his pouchy cheeks, and the tartan scarf didn't help.**

"I don't think I've ever seen him that mad," Fred said looking thoughtful.

"I'm very proud of you Harrikins," George said with a large smile.

"Our little boy's growing up so fast, isn't he George?" Fred said with fake tears swimming in his eyes.

"He is," George said wiping his eyes.

Harry chuckled.

" **Very well — go — and don't breathe a word — not that — however, if you didn't read — go now, I have to write up Peeves' report — go —"**

"No way!" Most of the students in the hall shouted.

"You left Filch's office without punishment?" Fred asked in awe.

"No one has ever done that before!" George exclaimed.

"You're brilliant!" Fred and George shouted.

"Only Harry would get sent to Filch's office and come out with no punishment," Ron said shaking his head.

**Amazed at his luck, Harry sped out of the office, up the corridor, and back upstairs. To escape from Filch's office without punishment was probably some kind of school record.**

"It is," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.

Filch was grumbling under his breath and shooting Harry dirty looks.

Umbridge was also sending Harry dirty looks. _'That boy gets away with way too much.'_

" **Harry! Harry! Did it work?"**

**Nearly Headless Nick came gliding out of a classroom. Behind him, Harry could see the wreckage of a large black-and-gold cabinet that appeared to have been dropped from a great height.**

" **I persuaded Peeves to crash it right over Filch's office," said Nick eagerly. "Thought it might distract him —"**

"Nick helped you?" Jack Sloper asked.

"Yeah," Harry said. "I'm sure he'd help any Gryffindor."

" **Was that you?" said Harry gratefully. "Yeah, it worked, I didn't even get detention. Thanks, Nick!"**

"Looks like being friendly with the ghosts can work in your favor," Terry said.

**They set off up the corridor together. Nearly Headless Nick, Harry noticed, was still holding Sir Patrick's rejection letter…**

" **I wish there was something I could do for you about the Headless Hunt," Harry said. Nearly Headless Nick stopped in his tracks and Harry walked right through him.**

Several people shuddered.

"I hate it when that happens," Cho said with a shudder.

**He wished he hadn't; it was like stepping through an icy shower.**

" **But there is something you could do for me," said Nick excitedly. "Harry — would I be asking too much — but no, you wouldn't want —"**

Many of the students snorted.

"He is totally playing you," Fred laughed.

"He knows now you're not going to say no," George said amused.

"Well he did help me," Harry said with a sigh. "I wasn't going to say no."

" **What is it?" said Harry.**

" **Well, this Halloween will be my five hundredth deathday," said Nearly Headless Nick, drawing himself up and looking dignified.**

"A very important occasion," Dumbledore said.

"I still don't see why anyone would want to celebrate the day they died," Ron mumbled.

" **Oh," said Harry, not sure whether he should look sorry or happy about this. "Right."**

"Happy." All those who knew about deathday parties said.

"It sounds dead depressing to me," Urquhart mumbled from the Slytherin table.

" **I'm holding a party down in one of the roomier dungeons. Friends will be coming from all over the country. It would be such an honor if you would attend. Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger would be most welcome, too, of course — but I dare say you'd rather go to the school feast?" He watched Harry on tenterhooks.**

"You're right, he totally played me," Harry said.

" **No," said Harry quickly, "I'll come —"**

" **My dear boy! Harry Potter, at my deathday party!**

"Famous even amongst ghosts," Draco sneered.

**And —" he hesitated, looking excited "— do you think you could possibly mention to Sir Patrick how very frightening and impressive you find me?"**

Everyone who had ever talked to Nick snorted or looked at the book in amusement.

"Nick is the furthest thing from frightening," Demelza said giggling.

" **Of — of course," said Harry.**

**Nearly Headless Nick beamed at him.**

" **A deathday party?" said Hermione keenly when Harry had changed at last and joined her and Ron in the common room. "I bet there aren't many living people who can say they've been to one of those — it'll be fascinating!"**

"That's true," Flitwick said. "Most ghosts don't invite living people to their deathday parties."

" **Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?" said Ron, who was halfway through his Potions homework and grumpy. "Sounds dead depressing to me…"**

"It really does," Neville said.

**Rain was still lashing the windows, which were now inky black, but inside all looked bright and cheerful. The firelight glowed over the countless squashy armchairs where people sat reading, talking, doing homework or, in the case of Fred and George Weasley, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a Filibuster firework to a salamander.**

The adults shot the twins disapproving looks.

Charlie shot a glare at his twin brothers. "You did what?" He asked sternly.

The twins eyed their older brother warily.

"It was just an experiment," Fred said quickly.

"It didn't hurt it!" George exclaimed.

"It was just for fun!" Fred added.

"And he liked it!" The twins said together.

**Fred had "rescued"**

"I don't think what you two did would be considered rescuing," Charlie said stiffly.

**the brilliant orange, fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class and it was now smoldering gently on a table surrounded by a knot of curious people.**

**Harry was at the point of telling Ron and Hermione about Filch and the Kwikspell course when the salamander suddenly whizzed into the air, emitting loud sparks and bangs as it whirled wildly round the room.**

"I can't believe you two!" Charlie exclaimed.

Fred and George inched away from their brother.

**The sight of Percy bellowing himself hoarse at Fred and George, the spectacular display of tangerine stars showering from the salamander's mouth,**

"It does sound pretty cool," Bill said.

"Bill!" Charlie yelled looking scandalized.

Bill shrugged sheepishly.

**and its escape into the fire, with accompanying explosions, drove both Filch and the Kwikspell envelope from Harry's mind.**

"It was impressive," Harry murmured.

**By the time Halloween arrived, Harry was regretting his rash promise to go to the deathday party. The rest of the school was happily anticipating their Halloween feast; the Great Hall had been decorated with the usual live bats, Hagrid's vast pumpkins had been carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in, and there were rumors that Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for the entertainment.**

"That was just a rumor," Neville said. "It was no different from the previous year."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "There was a troll set loose by a possessed defense teacher?"

Neville blushed. "You know what I meant."

Harry chuckled. "I know."

" **A promise is a promise," Hermione reminded Harry bossily. "You said you'd go to the Deathday party."**

"You did make a promise," Hermione told him.

Harry sighed. "I know Hermione."

**So at seven o'clock, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked straight past the doorway to the packed Great Hall, which was glittering invitingly with gold plates and candles, and directed their steps instead toward the dungeons.**

"That was horrible," Ron moaned. "Walking away from all of the delicious food."

"Wasn't there food there?" Dennis asked.

"It was a party for ghosts, of course there wouldn't be food," Zacharias said arrogantly.

"Actually there was," Harry said with a grimace.

"Really?" Neville asked. "From the look on your face, I take it the food wasn't very good?"

"You could say that," Ron said making a disgusted face.

**The passageway leading to Nearly Headless Nick's party had been lined with candles, too, though the effect was far from cheerful: These were long, thin, jet-black tapers, all burning bright blue, casting a dim, ghostly light even over their own living faces.**

"It was sort of creepy," Hermione said.

**The temperature dropped with every step they took.**

"Didn't you guys bring cloaks?" Lisa Turpin asked.

"No," Harry told her. "We should've though seeing as the party was in the dungeons with a bunch of ghosts."

**As Harry shivered and drew his robes tightly around him, he heard what sounded like a thousand fingernails scraping an enormous blackboard.**

Several people winced.

"That doesn't sound very nice," Mandy said.

" **Is that supposed to be music?" Ron whispered. They turned a corner and saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at a doorway hung with black velvet drapes.**

" **My dear friends," he said mournfully. "Welcome, welcome… so pleased you could come…"**

**He swept off his plumed hat and bowed them inside.**

**It was an incredible sight. The dungeon was full of hundreds of pearly-white, translucent people, mostly drifting around a crowded dance floor, waltzing to the dreadful, quavering sound of thirty musical saws, played by an orchestra on a raised, black-draped platform.**

"Musical saws?" Cho said. "That would explain the horrible noise."

**A chandelier overhead blazed midnight-blue with a thousand more black candles. Their breath rose in a mist before them; it was like stepping into a freezer.**

"Wow." Several people said.

"That sounds both cool and bad at the same time," Dean said.

"That about sums it up," Harry told him.

"Seeing all those ghosts in one place was fascinating," Hermione said.

" **Shall we have a look around?" Harry suggested, wanting to warm up his feet.**

" **Careful not to walk through anyone," said Ron nervously,**

"Was it even possible not to walk through anyone with the room so packed?" Hannah asked.

"No." The trio said.

**and they set off around the edge of the dance floor. They passed a group of gloomy nuns, a ragged man wearing chains, and the Fat Friar, a cheerful Hufflepuff ghost, who was talking to a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead.**

"Ouch," Neville said rubbing his forehead.

**Harry wasn't surprised to see that the Bloody Baron, a gaunt, staring Slytherin ghost covered in silver bloodstains, was being given a wide berth by the other ghosts.**

"I don't blame anyone for not wanting to go near him," Sally-Anne said quietly.

" **Oh, no," said Hermione, stopping abruptly. "Turn back, turn back, I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle —"**

All the females in the room groaned.

"Who's Moaning Myrtle?" Most of the boys asked.

"The most irritating ghost in the entire castle," Sue Li said. "She haunts the girls toilet on the second floor."

The boys looked part amused, part disturbed and somewhat confused.

"Why would she haunt a toilet?" Ernie asked.

"She has a reason," Harry made a face. "And that isn't the only place she haunts, she also happens to be a bit of a perv."

"What do you mean?" Several people asked.

"She uh..." Harry looked at several of the prefects. "She sometimes goes into the prefect bathroom to watch the prefects take baths."

Everyone in the hall looked shocked, and the prefects looked scandalized.

"What?" All of the prefects and quidditch captains yelled.

"She watched us bathe?" Ernie asked looking horrified.

Harry nodded his head. "Yes."

"Wait, how do you know that?" The seventh year Slytherin prefect asked.

"She told me in my fourth year," Harry said with a shrug.

"I'm never using that bathroom again." Several of the prefects were heard muttering.

" **Who?" said Harry as they backtracked quickly.**

" **She haunts one of the toilets in the girls' bathroom on the second floor," said Hermione.**

" **She haunts a toilet?"**

" **Yes. It's been out-of-order all year because she keeps having tantrums and flooding the place. I never went in there anyway if I could avoid it; it's awful trying to have a pee with her wailing at you —"**

"Why would you even try?" Charlie asked.

"I really had to go and it was before I knew about her," Hermione said blushing.

"Myrtle is actually quite nice to talk to if you take the time to get to know here," Luna informed the hall. "She also happen to know a lot of the castles secrets."

The trio exchanged looks.

" **Look, food!" said Ron.**

**On the other side of the dungeon was a long table, also covered in black velvet. They approached it eagerly but next moment had stopped in their tracks, horrified. The smell was quite disgusting. Large, rotten fish were laid on handsome silver platters; cakes, burned charcoal-black, were heaped on salvers; there was a great maggoty haggis, a slab of cheese covered in furry green mold**

Most of the students were making disgusted faces.

"What a waste of perfectly good food," Fred said.

"That's disgusting," Pansy sneered.

"I'm surprised there was food at all, with it being a ghost party and all," Megan Jones said.

**and, in pride of place, an enormous gray cake in the shape of a tombstone, with tar-like icing forming the words,**

**SIR NICHOLAS DE MIMSY-PORPINGTON**

**DIED 31ST OCTOBER, 1492**

**Harry watched, amazed, as a portly ghost approached the table, crouched low, and walked through it, his mouth held wide so that it passed through one of the stinking salmon.**

"Ghosts can't taste, can they?" Dennis asked.

" **Can you taste it if you walk though it?" Harry asked him.**

" **Almost," said the ghost sadly, and he drifted away.**

"What's the point of having food there if they can't even taste it?" Charlie asked incredulously.

"I could never be a ghost," Ron said seriously. "Can you imagine going five hundred years without food?" He shuddered at the thought.

"You wouldn't last five minutes, let alone several centuries," Ginny said teasingly.

" **I expect they've let it rot to give it a stronger flavor," said Hermione knowledgeably, pinching her nose and leaning closer to look at the putrid haggis.**

"Why would you lean closer to it?" Dean asked in disgust. "It's rotting food."

Hermione blushed and shrugged.

" **Can we move? I feel sick," said Ron.**

"I feel sick just reading about it," Lily Moon said.

**They had barely turned around, however, when a little man swooped suddenly from under the table and came to a halt in midair before them.**

" **Hello, Peeves," said Harry cautiously.**

"I'm surprised he was invited," Neville said.

"Since when has that damn poltergeist ever needed an invitation?" Moody grunted. "He goes where he wants to, does want he wants to, whenever he wants to. That's why he's called a bloody menace."

"That's why he's our hero." Fred and George said together.

**Unlike the ghosts around them, Peeves the Poltergeist was the very reverse of pale and transparent. He was wearing a bright orange party hat, a revolving bow tie, and a broad grin on his wide, wicked face.**

"I wonder if Peeves and Dumbledore shop at the same stores?" Harry asked Ron quietly.

Ron burst into laughter and everyone turned to look at him.

"What's so funny?" Ginny asked.

Ron shook his head but he couldn't respond, he was laughing too hard.

"Nothing," Harry said with an amused smile.

" **Nibbles?" he said sweetly, offering them a bowl of peanuts covered in fungus.**

"How kind," Draco drawled.

" **No thanks," said Hermione.**

" **Heard you talking about poor Myrtle," said Peeves, his eyes dancing.**

" **Rude you was about poor Myrtle." He took a deep breath and bellowed, "OY! MYRTLE!"**

Many people groaned.

"Why does he have to be such a pain?" Wayne Hopkins groaned.

"Well he is a poltergeist," Leanne pointed out. "Being a pain is sort of the definition of a being a poltergeist."

" **Oh, no, Peeves, don't tell her what I said, she'll be really upset," Hermione whispered frantically. "I didn't mean it, I don't mind her — er, hello, Myrtle."**

**The squat ghost of a girl had glided over. She had the glummest face Harry had ever seen, half-hidden behind lank hair and thick, pearly spectacles.**

" **What?" she said sulkily.**

" **How are you, Myrtle?" said Hermione in a falsely bright voice. "It's nice to see you out of the toilet."**

**Myrtle sniffed.**

" **Miss Granger was just talking about you —" said Peeves slyly in Myrtle's ear. "Just saying —"**

" **Just saying — saying — how nice you look tonight," said Hermione, glaring at Peeves.**

"She won't believe that," Fred said.

"Yeah," George agreed. "You're as bad of a liar as our dear Harrikins."

"I was trying not to hurt her feelings," Hermione said with a huff.

**Myrtle eyed Hermione suspiciously.**

" **You're making fun of me," she said, silver tears welling rapidly in her small, see-through eyes.**

" **No — honestly — didn't I just say how nice Myrtle's looking?" said Hermione, nudging Harry and Ron painfully in the ribs.**

" **Oh, yeah —"**

" **She did —"**

" **Don't lie to me," Myrtle gasped, tears now flooding down her face, while Peeves chuckled happily over her shoulder.**

"He's also so happy when others are miserable," Susan sighed.

**"D'you think I don't know what people call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!"**

"Was that before or after she died?" Cormac asked.

Several people snorted at his question.

"I think both," Harry said.

" **You've forgotten pimply," Peeves hissed in her ear.**

**Moaning Myrtle burst into anguished sobs and fled from the dungeon. Peeves shot after her, pelting her with moldy peanuts, yelling, "Pimply! Pimply!"**

"He's horrible," Molly said shooting a disapproving look at the book.

" **Oh, dear," said Hermione sadly.**

**Nearly Headless Nick now drifted toward them through the crowd.**

" **Enjoying yourselves?"**

"No," Ron muttered. "I was so hungry and it was freezing."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You can go five minutes without food."

Ron shot her a glare. "It was Halloween!"

"So?" Hermione asked in her bossy tone of voice.

"Mione, Ron, please don't start," Harry said sternly.

Ron and Hermione each shot the other a glare before looking away.

" **Oh, yes," they lied.**

" **Not a bad turnout," said Nearly Headless Nick proudly. "The Wailing Widow came all the way up from Kent… It's nearly time for my speech, I'd better go and warn the orchestra…"**

**The orchestra, however, stopped playing at that very moment. They, and everyone else in the dungeon, fell silent, looking around in excitement, as a hunting horn sounded.**

" **Oh, here we go," said Nearly Headless Nick bitterly.**

"What's wrong?" Several people asked.

**Through the dungeon wall burst a dozen ghost horses, each ridden by a headless horseman. The assembly clapped wildly; Harry started to clap, too, but stopped quickly at the sight of Nick's face.**

**The horses galloped into the middle of the dance floor and halted, rearing and plunging. At the front of the pack was a large ghost who held his bearded head under his arm, from which position he was blowing the horn. The ghost leapt down, lifted his head high in the air so he could see over the crowd (everyone laughed),**

Chuckles were heard throughout the hall.

"That does sound funny," Justin said.

"Don't let Nick hear you say that," Harry warned.

**and strode over to Nearly Headless Nick, squashing his head back onto his neck.**

" **Nick!" he roared. "How are you? Head still hanging in there?"**

"That's rude," Molly huffed.

**He gave a hearty guffaw and clapped Nearly Headless Nick on the shoulder.**

" **Welcome, Patrick," said Nick stiffly.**

"That's the guy from the headless hunt," Kevin Entwhistle said.

"Why did Nick invite they guy if he doesn't like him?" Sue Li asked.

" **Live 'uns!" said Sir Patrick, spotting Harry, Ron, and Hermione and giving a huge, fake jump of astonishment, so that his head fell off again (the crowd howled with laughter).**

More snickering was heard.

" **Very amusing," said Nearly Headless Nick darkly.**

" **Don't mind Nick!" shouted Sir Patrick's head from the floor. "Still upset we won't let him join the Hunt! But I mean to say — look at the fellow —"**

" **I think," said Harry hurriedly, at a meaningful look from Nick, "Nick's very — frightening and — er —"**

"That's horrible," Neville chuckled. "I could've lied better than that."

"Thanks Nev," Harry said dryly.

" **Ha!" yelled Sir Patrick's head.**

" **Bet he asked you to say that!"**

"It was pretty obvious," Harry sighed.

" **If I could have everyone's attention, it's time for my speech!" said Nearly Headless Nick loudly, striding toward the podium and climbing into an icy blue spotlight.**

" **My late lamented lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow…"**

**But nobody heard much more. Sir Patrick and the rest of the Headless Hunt had just started a game of Head Hockey and the crowd were turning to watch. Nearly Headless Nick tried vainly to recapture his audience, but gave up as Sir Patrick's head went sailing past him to loud cheers.**

"What a git," Tonks glared at the book..

"He's a guest and he's being completely rude," Alicia huffed.

"I hope he doesn't invite him to his next deathday party," Katie said.

**Harry was very cold by now, not to mention hungry.**

" **I can't stand much more of this," Ron muttered, his teeth chattering, as the orchestra ground back into action and the ghosts swept back onto the dance floor.**

" **Let's go," Harry agreed.**

"Good," Molly said in approval. "You three need to warm yourselves up and get some food into you."

**They backed toward the door, nodding and beaming at anyone who looked at them, and a minute later were hurrying back up the passageway full of black candles.**

" **Pudding might not be finished yet," said Ron hopefully, leading the way toward the steps to the entrance hall.**

**And then Harry heard it.**

"… **rip… tear… kill…"**

The mood in the hall suddenly became tense.

"That creepy voice again." A scared looking first year Ravenclaw gasped.

**It was the same voice, the same cold, murderous voice he had heard in Lockhart's office.**

"That's not good," Molly said shooting worried looks at the trio.

**He stumbled to a halt, clutching at the stone wall, listening with all his might, looking around, squinting up and down the dimly lit passageway.**

"You're going to follow it aren't you?" Remus asked, although he looked like he really didn't want to know the answer.

Harry looked sheepishly up at him.

"Of course," Remus sighed resignedly.

" **Harry, what're you —?"**

" **It's that voice again — shut up a minute —"**

"… **soo hungry… for so long…"**

Many of the students blanched.

"Hungry?" Several students asked nervously.

" **Listen!" said Harry urgently, and Ron and Hermione froze, watching him.**

"… **kill… time to kill…"**

"No!" Several people shouted.

"It doesn't kill does it?" Tonks asked looking tense.

"You'll see," Harry told her.

**The voice was growing fainter. Harry was sure it was moving away — moving upward. A mixture of fear and excitement gripped him as he stared at the dark ceiling;**

"Excitement?" Several people asked incredulously.

"How can hearing a bodiless voice talking about killing excite you?" Zacharias asked shooting Harry a wary look.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I wad excited because I thought I might be able to figure out what was talking, it also meant I wasn't crazy since I heard it again."

**how could it be moving upward? Was it a phantom, to whom stone ceilings didn't matter?**

Hermione shot him an amused look.

"I admit that wasn't the best theory I've ever had," Harry said.

" **This way," he shouted, and he began to run, up the stairs, into the entrance hall.**

All of the adults with the exception of Umbridge groaned, even Fudge looked slightly worried.

"Mr. Potter, you need to learn not to stick your nose into everything," McGonagall said sternly.

Most of the students snorted, breaking some of the tension.

"From what I gather from what we've read so far I don't think that'll ever happen," Justin said.

"It won't." Hermione and Ron both said.

**It was no good hoping to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great Hall. Harry sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor, Ron and Hermione clattering behind him.**

" **Harry, what're we —"**

" **SHH!"**

**Harry strained his ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, he heard the voice: "… I smell blood… I SMELL BLOOD!"**

The tension was back, everyone leaned forward.

**His stomach lurched —**

" **It's going to kill someone!" he shouted, and ignoring Ron's and Hermione's bewildered faces,**

"You couldn't hear it?" Tonks asked in alarm.

Hermione and Ron both shook their heads.

"I thought he was going mental," Ron admitted. "But in the end we found out that there really was a voice."

"Thanks Ron," Harry muttered.

"Of course," Ron said smirking.

"What was talking?" Tonks asked.

"You'll see," Ron said.

"That's the only phrase you three know...we'll see," Tonks grumbled under her breath.

**he ran up the next flight of steps three at a time, trying to listen over his own pounding footsteps — Harry hurtled around the whole of the second floor, Ron and Hermione panting behind him, not stopping until they turned a corner into the last, deserted passage.**

" **Harry, what was that all about?" said Ron, wiping sweat off his face. "I couldn't hear anything…"**

**But Hermione gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor.**

" **Look!"**

"What is it?" Those who weren't there that year asked.

Ginny had paled, the twins moved so one was sitting on either side of her, they squeezed her hands in reassurance.

**Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.**

**THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.**

**ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE**

"It's not a myth?" Tonks asked in shock.

"Unfortunately, it is not a myth," Dumbledore said without his usual twinkle.

" **What's that thing — hanging underneath?" said Ron, a slight quiver in his voice.**

**As they edged nearer, Harry almost slipped — there was a large puddle of water on the floor; Ron and Hermione grabbed him, and they inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All three of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash.**

**Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.**

Everyone who didn't know about the petrifications paled.

"What happened?" Charlie asked looking genuinely shocked.

"Your parents didn't tell you and Bill what happened during our second year?" Hermione asked.

Bill and Charlie exchanged confused looks. "No." Both of them said.

"What happened?" Bill asked urgently.

The trio exchanged looks.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You'll see."

Bill and Charlie looked at their parents, Molly and Arthur exchanged looks.

"We didn't think it mattered, it's not something we wanted to bring up," Arthur said after a moment of hesitation.

Bill and Charlie exchanged looks once more, this time they both look genuinely worried, they both knew now that something bad must've happened to one of their siblings or Harry or Hermione.

**For a few seconds, they didn't move. Then Ron said, "Let's get out of here."**

"Good idea," Tonks said. "You don't want to get caught there."

"Knowing Harry's luck, he will get caught there," Remus sighed.

" **Shouldn't we try and help —" Harry began awkwardly.**

"You wanted to help that evil cat?" Draco asked, he's honestly shocked, he would never help Mrs. Norris.

Harry shrugged. "Just because I don't like someone doesn't mean I won't help them. If you were dying and I could do something, I would."

Draco looked at Harry for a moment before turning away.

Daphne internally smiled. _'He really is a nice boy...maybe I should try talking to him again...'_

Snape eyed Harry, a small voice inside of his head was trying to tell him that Harry is more like his mother than his father.

" **Trust me," said Ron. "We don't want to be found here."**

**But it was too late.**

"Of course it was," Tonks groaned.

**A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends.**

**The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight.**

"Well that's not suspicious," Moody grunted. "Now you three will be suspected, especially you Potter."

"Of course," Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm the wizarding worlds scapegoat, something goes wrong blame Harry Potter."

Many of the students shot Harry sympathetic looks, they remembered that they blamed him for opening the chamber when it's obvious now he hadn't.

**Then someone shouted through the quiet.**

" **Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"**

Colin stumbled over the word.

"I wonder who that was," Fred snarled.

Everyone in the hall turned to look at Draco who had once again paled at all of the glares he was receiving.

"Someone needs to talk to that boy," McGonagall whispered harshly to Snape.

Snape nodded then shot his godson a sharp look that made Draco flinch.

**It was Draco Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat.**

Now some of the people who were glaring at Draco switched from looks of contempt to looks of disgust.

"You were grinning?" Alicia asked, completely disgusted by his behavior.

"This chapter is over," Colin said shakily closing the book.

"I'll read next," Dennis told his brother.

"I hope the next chapter is happier," Susan said.

"I wouldn't count on that being the case," Ernie told her.


	9. Writing on the Wall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the confusion

Dennis excitedly turned to the correct page and began to read. " **The Writing on the Wall."**

"Hopefully we get some answers," Cho said to her best friend.

"I've always wanted to know what happened when the headmaster took Potter and his friends away," Marietta said quietly back.

 **"What's going on here? What's going on?" Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd.** **Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.**

"This isn't going to be good," Tonks sighed. "He's most likely going to see Harry and jump to the conclusion that he did it."

**"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked.**

"He must've felt horrible, Mrs. Norris is basically his life," Molly said sadly.

"Filch is a git," Ron muttered.

"Ronald!" Molly scolded. "Just because someone isn't the nicest doesn't mean that he deserves to have his pet harmed!"

"I didn't say he did," Ron mumbled.

**And his popping eyes fell on Harry.**

Snuffles growled.

The Weasleys, Hermione, Neville and the rest of Harry's friends glared at Filch.

"Of course, blame Harry for everything," Ginny snapped.

**"You!" he screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll -"**

"A member of the school staff shouldn't be threatening students," Amelia said with a frown.

Dumbledore sighed. "I agree, I will have a talk with him."

 **"Argus!" Dumbledore had arrived on the scene,** **followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Ron and Hermione and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.**

"Someone should've probably done that sooner," Bill said. "It isn't good that all of the students saw that."

"It probably gave the little kids nightmares," Fleur said shooting a glare at the caretaker.

**"Come with me Argus," he said to Filch. "You too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."**

"Why are you taking them?" Remus asked frowning. "You can't possibly think those three have anything to do with it."

"I merely wanted to question them as they were the first to arrive at the scene," Dumbledore told him.

"The headmaster having Harry stay back just fueled the rumors that he was the heir," Dean said.

"People thought that Harry was the heir?" Charlie and Bill asked.

"Of course they did," Harry said annoyed. "Every time something bad happens everyone blames me."

Everyone who thought Harry was the heir shifted guiltily in their seats.

 **Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.** **"My office is nearest, Headmaster - just upstairs - please feel free -"**

"Just what everyone needs, all he's going to do is make things worse," Charlie said.

 **"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore. The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited** **and important,**

Many of the students rolled their eyes.

"Of course he was," Justin said will an eye roll.

**hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall and Snape.**

**As they entered Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; Harry saw several of the Lockhart's in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers.**

The hall broke into laughter.

"Even his photographic selves are complete pansies," Cormac sneered.

**The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back.**

"At least he had enough sense to stay out of the way," Sue Li said.

**Dumbledore laid Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged tense looks and sank into chairs outside the pool of candlelight, watching. The tip of Dumbledore's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur.**

**He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking.**

"Why was he poking her?" Sally-Anne asked.

"He was probably trying to figure out what was wrong with her," Megan Jones told her.

"When I first saw her hanging there, I thought that she was dead," Sally-Anne said.

**Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: it was as though he was trying hard not to smile.**

Most of the hall turned to stare at him, shooting him odd looks.

Snape had to use almost all his self control in order to not roll his eyes. "I didn't find the situation amusing, however Lockhart was prancing around like a school girl spewing the most ridiculous nonsense." Snape told the hall with a sneer.

**And Lockhart was hovering around all of them, making suggestions. "It was definitely a curse that killed her - probably the Transmogrifian Torture.**

"What's that?" Many of the students asked.

"I've never heard of it," Bill said looking thoughtful.

"That's because it's ridiculous nonsense," McGonagall said stiffly. "It doesn't exist."

**I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very counter-curse that would have saved her ..."**

Snorts were heard all around the hall.

"He would've removed her organs is more like it," Harry muttered bitterly.

Ron heard Harry and had to cough in order to suppress a snort.

**Lockhart's comments were punctuated by Filch's dry, raking sobs. He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face in his hands.**

**Much as he detested Filch, Harry couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him,**

"Such a sweet boy," Molly cooed. Several girls in the hall nodded in agreement.

Fred and George snickered at Harry as he turned red.

**though not nearly as sorry as he felt for himself.**

Harry was sent many understanding looks.

"I don't blame you mate," Dean told him. "If I was in your situation I would've felt sorry for myself."

Harry shrugged. "I didn't think they would believe me when I told them I hadn't done it."

"Why not?" Euan asked with a frown.

"You've read about my relatives, and what happened in my first year. I'm not exactly used to adults believing me," Harry said in a somewhat cold voice.

Many people sent him pitying looks and McGonagall looked ashamed.

**If Dumbledore believed Filch, he would be expelled for sure.**

"I would never believe you capable of something like that," Dumbledore said quietly but everyone still heard him.

**Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand, but nothing happened: she continued to look as though she had recently been stuffed.**

"I know that Mrs. Norris is fine now, but if she hadn't been, Filch could've always kept her like that," Fred said.

"Yeah, I can see it now, you walk into Filch's office and there's Mrs. Norris propped up on his desk," George added.

"Fred! George! I can't believe you would say such things!" Molly yelled.

Filch was glaring at the twins, the adults were sending them disapproving looks, the girls were sending them disgusted looks and many of the boys were attempting to cover up snickers.

 **"... I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadougou," said Lockhart,** **"a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography.**

"Of course it is," Harry muttered.

**I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets which cleared the matter up at once ..."**

"He's just full of wonderful stories to tell isn't he?" Charlie asked with an annoyed look on his face.

"You have no idea." Harry muttered, having been on the receiving end of many of Lockhart's 'fascinating stories', he knows he has way too many of them.

**The photographs of Lockhart of the walls were all nodding in agreement as he talked.**

"All those Lockhart's..." Fred trailed off with a shudder.

**One of them had forgotten to remove his hairnet.**

Ron snorted.

 **At last Dumbledore straightened up.** **"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.**

**Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented.**

More eyes were rolled at this sentence.

"How many did he say he prevented?" Remus asked the potions professor.

Snape gave Remus a cold look. "I think he was at number thirteen."

Harry snorted. "He's never saved one life let alone thirteen."

 **"No dead?" choked Filch, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris.** **"But why's she all - all stiff and frozen?"**

**"She had been Petrified," said Dumbledore**

"She was petrified?" Bill asked.

"What kind of monster does that?" Charlie asked furrowing his brows.

"A big one," Harry mumbled too quietly for anyone to hear.

"I'm sure if we read everyone will find out," Dumbledore said calmly.

**("Ah! I thought so!" said Lockhart).**

"Sure you did," Susan said dryly.

"Didn't he just say moments before that she was murdered?" Lisa Turpin asked raising her eyebrows.

**"But how, I cannot say ..."**

**"Ask him!" shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tear-stained face to Harry.**

_'They shouldn't go around blaming my pup.'_ Sirius thought angrily.

"He didn't do anything!" Harry's friends shouted.

"No second year could've petrified the cat," Moody grunted. "Anyone with a brain could tell you that."

Filch shot the ex-auror a cold look while hugging Mrs. Norris to his chest.

**"No second-year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly."It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced -"**

**"He did it, he did it!" Filch spat, his pouchy face purpling. " You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found - in my office - he knows I'm a - I'm a -" Filch's face worked horribly. "He knows I'm a squib!" he finished.**

"For Merlin's sake!" Hermione exclaimed exasperated. "Do you really think Harry would go around petrifying people's pets just because they're a squib?"

**"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry said loudly, uncomfortably aware of everyone looking at him, including all the Lockharts on the walls. "And I don't even know what a Squib is."**

"You don't know what a squib is Potter?" Malfoy sneered.

"Of course I didn't Malfoy," Harry snapped. "In case you forgot I was raised by muggles!"

"What is a squib?" A first year Hufflepuff muggleborn asked.

"I'm sure the book will explain," Hannah told her kindly.

**"Rubbish!" snarled Filch. "He saw my Kwikspell letter!"**

"Which didn't even mention the word squib," Bill pointed out.

"Filch just needed someone to blame," Hermione said with a sigh. "And of course he chose Harry."

"Hooray for me," Harry muttered bitterly.

**"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows, and Harry's sense of foreboding increased; he was sure nothing Snape had to say was going to do him any good.**

"Of course not," Harry said. "The only time he talks to me or even mentions my name it's followed by an insult."

Snape turned towards Harry and glared.

"What?" Harry snapped. "You know it's true."

"Watch your tone Mr. Potter," Snape said silkily.

Harry rolled his eyes and rubbed his scar which had begun to burn.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked him quietly.

"I'm fine," Harry told her.

Hermione didn't look like she believed him but she didn't say anything else.

**"Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said,**

"Was it really Snape who said that?" Neville asked looking genuinely surprised.

"Wait for it," Ron said, remembering what Snape said next.

**a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it, "but we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why were they in the upstairs corridor at all? Why weren't they at the Halloween feast?"**

"Ah, that makes more sense," Neville said.

"How do you know he wasn't?" Tonks asked in a cold tone, a tone that didn't suit her at all.

Snape sneered. "They aren't exactly hard to spot."

**Harry, Ron and Hermione all launched into an explanation about the Deathday Party, "... there were hundreds of ghosts, they'll tell you we were there -"**

**"But why not join the feast afterwards?" said Snape, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. "Why go up to that corridor?"**

"He's got you there unfortunately," Kingsley pointed out. "It will be hard to explain how you ended up there, unless you tell them about the voice."

"Which he didn't," McGonagall said shooting the trio a stern look.

"You either wouldn't of believed me or thought I was going crazy," Harry told the staff.

"I would've believed you Mr. Potter," Dumbledore told him.

"Well it's not like it matters now," Harry said rather harshly, he was feeling angry, he had been since the beginning of this chapter. He couldn't tell if it was because he was angry at Dumbledore or for some other reason, he rubbed his scar again. He noticed that Hermione was watching him worriedly, he sent her a reassuring smile.

**Ron and Hermione looked at Harry. "Because - because -" Harry said, his heart thumping very fast; something told him it would sound very far-fetched if he told them he had been led there by a bodiless voice no one but he could hear, "because we were tired and wanted to go to bed," he said.**

Fred and George both shook their heads.

"It would've been much more believable if you hadn't stuttered," Fred pointed out.

"And if you didn't have Ron with you," George told him. "Everyone knows that Ron is always hungry."

"Yeah," Fred said. "There's no way he would've gone to bed without food."

Ron turned red as many people snickered.

**"Without any supper?" said Snape, a triumphant smile flickering across his gaunt face.**

Snuffles growled. _'That greasy git would be happy about getting little kids in trouble.'_

"Why are you always trying to get them into trouble?" Bill asked getting sick of Snape picking on the trio.

Snape sneered. "Because they're always doing something wrong."

Harry rolled his eyes. _'I highly doubt that's the real reason.'_

Ron shot the potions master a glare. "We are not," he muttered.

**"I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties."**

**"We weren't hungry," said Ron loudly, as his stomach gave a huge rumble.**

The hall burst out laughing.

"I don't think they're going to believe that," Daphne said looking amused.

**Snape's nasty smile widened.**

The friends of the trio shot Snape glares or in Neville's case an annoyed look.

**"I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthfully," he said. "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest."**

"What?" Charlie yelled.

"You tried to take him off the team!" Oliver yelled looking scandalized.

"Shouldn't the punishment fit the crime?" Angelina asked shooting her professor a glare. "Not that I think any of them should've gotten into any trouble but Ron and Hermione were there too."

"Really Severus?" Sprout said giving Snape a disappointed look.

"It's because he knows the only way Slytherin will be Gryffindor is if Harry's not on the team," George said loudly.

The Slytherins and Snape shot George glares.

 **"Really, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch.** **This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick.**

The hall broke into fits of laughter.

"That was brilliant professor!" George and Fred exclaimed.

"I knew you had it in you Minerva," Remus said chuckling.

McGonagall tried to look stern but her lips were twitching.

Umbridge was sneering at everyone. _'Really now, the teachers at this school need to act more mature.'_

**There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong."**

"Since when does there need to be evidence?" Ron asked harshly. "Everyone always blames Harry for everything." Ron was annoyed that everyone always blamed his best friend for everything. He had enough going on in his life, he didn't need everyone blaming him for stuff he didn't do.

**Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light-blue gaze made Harry feel as though he was being x-rayed.**

"I hate it when he does that." Several students muttered.

**"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly. Snape looked furious. So did Filch. "My cat has been Petrified!" he shrieked, his eyes popping. "I want to see some punishment!"**

"He always wants to see some punishment," Mandy Brocklehurst said sending a wary look towards the caretaker.

**"We'll be able to cure her, Argus," said Dumbledore patiently. "Madam Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made which will revive Mrs. Norris."**

**"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred times, I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep -"**

"He actually said that in front of Severus?" Remus asked.

"He did," Snape said through gritted teeth.

"I thought Severus was going to kill him right then and there," McGonagall said, Harry could see her lips twitching.

"Oh I wanted too," Snape said in a tone of voice that sent shivers down the younger students spines.

"You should be honored that someone as talented as Gilderoy wanted to make the potion," Umbridge said with a rude sniff.

Everyone in the hall stared at her in exasperation.

"Have you not been listening to the same book we have?" Harry snapped. "If he would've made the potion everyone who took it would've died."

"Mr. Potter! You will show me respect," Umbridge simpered.

Harry snorted and Umbridge narrowed her eyes at him.

"Harry," Hermione hissed.

Harry just shrugged and turned away. Hermione and Ron exchanged worried looks.

**"Excuse me," said Snape icily, "but I believe I am the potions master at this school." There was a very awkward pause.**

**"You may go," Dumbledore said to Harry, Ron and Hermione.**

**They went, as quickly as they could without actually running. When they were a floor up from Lockhart's office, they turned into an empty classroom and closed the door quietly behind them. Harry squinted at his friends' darkened faces. "D'you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?"**

"Yes." All of the adults in the hall besides Moody said.

"They would've thought you were going crazy," Moody grunted.

**"No," said Ron, without hesitation. "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."**

"It's not," Susan said. "But we all know that Harry isn't crazy."

Zacharias snorted. "Speak for yourself."

Those who heard him sent him glares.

**Something in Ron's voice made Harry ask, "You do believe me, don't you?"**

"Of course I did!" Ron said quickly. "It was just weird that's all."

**"Course I do," said Ron quickly. "But - you must admit it's weird ..."**

**"I know it's weird," said Harry. "The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber has been opened ... what's that supposed to mean?"**

**"You know, it rings a sort of bell," said Ron slowly. "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once ... might've been Bill ..."**

"I read about it in Hogwarts a History," Bill said. "But it doesn't tell you much, just that it's a chamber that Salazar Slytherin supposedly built, it doesn't go into details."

**"And what on earth's a Squib?" said Harry. To his surprise, Ron stifled a snigger.**

The adults sent Ron disapproving looks.

**"Well - it's not funny really - but as it's Filch ..." he said.**

"It's not funny at all!" Molly yelled.

 **"A squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggle-born wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual. If Filch's trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib. It would explain a lot. Like why he hates students so much." Ron gave a satisfied smile.** **"He's bitter."**

"I think if all my family was magical and I wasn't I'd be bitter too," Romilda said.

**A clock chimed somewhere. "Midnight," said Harry. "We'd better get to bed before Snape comes along and tries to frame us for something else."**

Snape internally rolled his eyes. _'Does he really think I have nothing better to do then to try and get him into trouble?'_

**For a few days, the school could talk of little but the attack on Mrs. Norris.**

"That's all anyone talked about," Leanne said.

"Everyone was freaked out," Lisa said.

**Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked, as though he thought the attacker might come back.**

"I doubt whoever was behind the attacks would return to the scene of the crime," Bill said.

"I also don't think him standing there would've really helped matters," Charlie added.

**Harry had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with "Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover", but to no effect; the words still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone.**

"Are they still there?" Tonks asked.

"No," McGonagall answered. "By the end of the year the words were gone."

"I'm just glad they're gone," Hermione said. "No one needs to remember that." She shuddered.

Harry was still feeling angry but he pushed it away to comfort his best friend, he squeezed her hand and she shot him a grateful smile.

**When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors, lunging at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like "breathing loudly" and "looking happy".**

"He really should've taken a vacation," Tonk said seriously. "He shouldn't of been around kids like that."

"For all of the undeserved detentions we received that year we should get that many taken off this year," Fred said.

"I agree dear brother of mine," George said loudly. "After all, that would only be fair."

The trio snorted.

"I'm sure you two deserved every detention you received," Molly said not sounding at all happy about that.

Fred and George gasped dramatically.

"We never do anything to deserve detention!" Fred yelled in mock indignation.

Most of the hall snorted and the Weasley twins smiled and high fived.

**Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed by Mrs. Norris's fate. According to Ron, she was a great cat-lover.**

Ginny blanched but only the twins noticed. Fred got up to sit on the other side of his sister, he and George each grabbed one of her hands, she gave them a small smile in return.

**"But you hadn't really got to know Mrs. Norris," Ron told her bracingly. "Honestly, we're much better off without her."**

Molly looked like she was going to yell but Arthur gently touched her arm.

"If you yell every time they do something wrong or say something you don't like, you're going to lose your voice," Arthur told his wife.

Molly shot him a look but nodded her head.

**Ginny's lip trembled.**

**"Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts," Ron assured her. "They'll catch the nutter who did it and have him out of here in no time.**

_'That had just made me feel worse.'_ Ginny thought.

**I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before he's expelled.**

Filch sent a harsh glare at Ron and began to mutter under his breath about horrible brats.

**I'm only joking -" Ron added hastily, as Ginny blanched.**

**The attack had also had an effect on Hermione. It was quite usual for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else.**

"That's not exactly unusual," Pansy sneered.

Harry and Ron both glared at the Slytherin girl.

**Nor could Harry and Ron get much response from her when they asked what she was up to, and not until the following Wednesday did they find out. Harry had been held back in Potions, where Snape had made him stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks.**

"Ew." Parvarti and Lavender both said.

**After a hurried lunch, he went upstairs to meet Ron in the library, and saw Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Hufflepuff boy from Herbology coming towards him Harry had just opened his mouth to say hello when Justin caught sight of him, turned abruptly and sped off in the opposite direction.**

"Wasn't he the one who was excited to talk to him the first day of class?" Tonks asked.

"Yep." Harry said, he knew what was coming up, the whole school was about to think he was evil.

"Why'd he run away?" Charlie asked.

"You'll see," was all Harry said.

**Harry found Ron at the back of the library, measuring his History of Magic homework. Professor Binns had asked for a three-foot long composition on "The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards".**

**"I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short ..."**

"It's not like he actually reads the essays," Charlie said. "He won't know the difference."

"Mr. Weasley!" "Charlie!" Molly and McGonagall both yelled.

"What?" Charlie asked sheepishly.

The twins snickered.

**said Ron furiously, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll, "and Hermione's done four feet seven inches and her writing's tiny."**

"Why did you do so much?" Anthony asked.

Hermione turned red from all the looks she was receiving. "I like to be thorough."

"There's a difference between being thorough and just writing way too much," Ron muttered.

"Like you'd know anything about being thorough Ronald!" Hermione snapped.

"Oh yeah? Well-" Ron began but was cut off.

"Be quiet! Both of you," Harry said as he rubbed his scar.

**"Where is she?" asked Harry, grabbing the tape measure and unrolling his own homework. "Somewhere over there," said Ron, pointing along the shelves, "looking for another book. I think she's trying to read the whole library before Christmas."**

Hermione sent Ron a hurt look.

Harry sighed at the look on his best friends face. "He didn't mean anything by it Mione," he whispered to her.

"I know," she whispered back.

**Harry told Ron about Justin Finch-Fletchley running away from him. "Dunno why you care, I thought he was a bit of an idiot," said Ron,**

"Thanks Ron," Justin said sarcastically.

"Oh yeah...uh sorry about that," Ron said turning red.

"It's fine," Justin told him. "I admit when we first met I was a little...excitable."

**scribbling away, making his writing as large as possible. "All that rubbish about Lockhart being so great -"**

**Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves. She looked irritable and at last seemed ready to talk to them. "All the copies of Hogwarts: A History have been taken out,"**

"Don't you have that book?" Neville asked. "I remember when we first met you quoted it."

"Yeah, but I couldn't bring it with all the Lockhart books," Hermione told him.

"I thought she had the thing bloody memorized," Draco muttered.

"You're just jealous that she's smarter than you Malfoy," Tracey said.

Draco turned to her and sneered. "Shut up Davis," he snapped.

**she said, sitting down next to Harry and Ron. "And there's a two-week waiting list. I wish I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books."**

"Why does everyone want to read it all of a sudden?" Tonks asked. "Most people never read that book."

"Were you not listening when Bill spoke earlier?" Moody grunted gruffly. "It has information on the chamber."

"Oh...yeah," Tonks said rubbing the back of her neck.

**"Why do you want it?" said Harry.**

**"The same reason everyone else wants it," said Hermione, "to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."**

**"What's that?" said Harry quickly.**

**"That's just it. I can't remember," said Hermione, biting her lip. "And I can't find the story anywhere else -"**

**"Hermione, let me read your composition," said Ron desperately, checking his watch.**

The teachers sent Ron stern looks and he quickly turned red and looked away.

**"No, I won't," said Hermione, suddenly severe. "You've had ten days to finish it."**

"You had ten days to finish an assignment and you didn't?" Molly asked severely.

"Molly dear-" Arthur began but he was cut off.

"You're okay with this?" Molly yelled.

"No of course not, but yelling about this now won't make a difference," Arthur said trying to calm her down. "We can talk about it later."

"I-" Molly began.

"Mum stop!" Ron yelled. "This happened three years ago! Everything in this book happened three years ago! I can't change anything that happened, Harry can't, Hermione can't, Fred and George can't, no one can! And I'm not going to apologize for something I did when I was twelve!"

Everyone in the hall was staring at Ron in shock, especially the rest of the Weasley's. No one would've guessed that out of all of her kids it would be Ron to finally get sick of her scolding.

Ron turned crimson when he realized that he actually said all of that out loud.

"I think we should continue to read," Dumbledore said after no one spoke for a minute.

Dennis quickly began to read once more.

**"I only need another two inches, go on ..."**

**The bell rang. Ron and Hermione led the way to History of Magic, bickering.**

"Do they always argue?" Lavender asked.

"Yes," Harry said.

At the same time Ron and Hermione said, "No."

"We don't really fight that much do we?" Ron asked.

"Yes, you really do," Harry said a little harsher than he meant to.

Hermione flinched back and Harry sighed.

"Im sorry Hermione...I...I don't..." Harry said not knowing what to say, he can't understand why he's feeling so angry all of a sudden. The past half an hour he's had moments where he just feels angry for no reason.

"It's okay," Hermione said quickly. "We'll talk about whatever is bothering you later."

**History of Magic was the dullest subject on their timetable. Professor Binns, who taught it, was their only ghost teacher, and the most exciting thing that ever happened in his classes was his entering the room through the blackboard.**

"And even that gets boring after the first couple lessons," Michael Corner muttered.

**Ancient and shriveled, many people said he hadn't noticed he was dead.**

"How exactly does a person not notice that they're dead?" Jimmy Peakes asked.

Nobody had an answer for him so Dennis continued to read.

**He had simply got up to teach one day and left his body behind him in an armchair in front of the staff-room fire; is routine had not varied in the slightest since.**

**Today was as boring as ever. Professor Binns opened his notes and began to read in a flat drone like an old vacuum cleaner until nearly everyone in the class was in a deep stupor, occasionally coming round long enough to copy down a name or date, then falling asleep again.**

"You really need to get a new teacher for that class Albus," McGonagall said her lips thinning.

"I would actually like that class if the teacher made it interesting," Harry said suddenly. Everyone in the hall turned to look at him, they were all surprised.

"So would I," Justin said.

"I'd still find it boring," Ron muttered causing the twins to snicker.

Albus sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

**He had been speaking for half an hour when something happened that had never happened before.**

Several people leaned forward.

**Hermione put up her hand.**

"But you do that in every class," George said.

"Not in History of Magic," Harry said. "No one raises their hand in that class."

**Professor Binns, glancing up in the middle of a deadly dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked amazed.**

"That's really pathetic," Tonks said. "A teacher shouldn't be amazed that a student raises their hand in class."

"Especially if that student's Hermione," Ron muttered. Harry had to cover up a snort with a cough.

**"Miss -er -?"**

**"Granger, professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets," said Hermione in a clear voice.**

"He probably won't say anything," Terry said.

**Dean Thomas, who had been sitting with his mouth hanging open, gazing out of the window, jerked out of his trance; Lavender Brown's head came up off her arms and Neville's elbow slipped off his desk.**

All of the teachers with the exception of Snape who scowled and Umbridge who just continued to glare, sighed.

**Professor Binns blinked. "My subject is History of Magic," he said in his dry, wheezy voice. "I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends."**

"Most myths have some basis in fact," Bill said.

"And it's not a legend," Harry said dully.

"Do I want to know how you know this?" Charlie asked.

"Probably not," Harry answered honestly.

**He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk snapping and continued, "In September of that year, a sub-committee of Sardinian sorcerers -" He stuttered to a halt. Hermione's hand was waving in the air again.**

"Hermione has always been very persistent," Harry said with a fond smile.

**"Miss Grant?"**

**"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?" Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement, Harry was sure no student had ever interrupted him before, alive or dead.**

"Probably," Tonks muttered.

**"Well," said Professor Binns slowly, "yes, one could argue that, I suppose." He peered at Hermione as though he had never seen a student properly before. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale ..." But the whole class was now hanging on Professor Binns's every word.**

"The first and last time that happened," Dean said chuckling.

"It was the only history lesson I've ever been to that was even remotely interesting," Ron said.

**He looked dimly at them all, every face turned to his. Harry could tell he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest. "Oh, very well," he said slowly. "Let me see ... the Chamber of secrets ..."**

"I can't believe you actually got him to interrupt his lesson," Remus said.

 **"You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago - the precise date is uncertain - by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor,** **Helga Huffelpuff, Rowena Ravenclawand Salazar Slytherin.** **They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution." He paused, gazed blearily around the room, and continued, "For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them.**

"But really that's to be expected," Hermione said. "A group of people, no matter how close, family or friends will fight sometimes. I mean, Harry and Ron are my best friends but we still fight. No relationship is conflict free."

"I quite agree Miss Granger," Dumbledore said eyes twinkling.

**A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others.**

"No surprise there." Several people muttered.

**Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy.**

"Of course Slytherin started all the pureblood mania," Ron growled.

"It's kind of understandable." Hermione said then sighed when everyone looked at her shocked. "I don't agree that purebloods are better than muggleborns or half-bloods, but you have to think of the time period they were in. Back then those who were thought to be witches or wizards were hunted and persecuted. They had a reason for wanting to keep muggles away from the wizarding world."

"That's true," Harry said and everyone turned their looks to him. "The Dursley's treat me horrible because I have magic, I wouldn't want them anywhere near Hogwarts. But Hermione's right purebloods aren't any better than anyone else. The Dursley's think they're better than wizards and some purebloods think they're better than muggleborns, neither is true. Hermione is the smartest witch in our year and she's a muggleborn, and some of the purebloods well...let's just say they aren't better than anyone else."

"We also don't know what exactly any of the founders opinions really were," Hermione said. "So we shouldn't just say Slytherin was an evil loony, because we don't know what we really thought. After all everything I read about Harry before coming to Hogwarts was complete fiction, so who's to say if what we've read about Slytherin is true or not?"

Everyone stared at the two of them in shock, most of them had never thought of it in that way before.

"I agree," Daphne said loudly. Many of the Slytherins sent her glares but other Slytherins looked thoughtful.

Harry sent the Slytherin girl a small smile. _'She's definitely not like most Slytherins.'_

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling brighter than usual. "Very well said Miss Granger, Mr. Potter."

After a moment of silence Dennis continued to read.

**After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school.**

"It must've been a horrible fight for him to just leave his home," Luna said sadly. "He put a lot of himself into the castle."

**Professor Binns paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise.**

This line broke some of the tension that had started to build and many people chuckled.

"I love your imagination Harry," Neville said while he was laughing.

**"Reliable historical sources tell us this much," he said, "but these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing.**

"I don't blame him," Moody said gruffly. "You never tell anyone all of your secrets."

"I'm sure he wasn't the only one to have some sort of secret room," Remus said. "There have been rumors that Rowena Ravenclaw had a secret library."

"All of the founders probably built some sort of secret hideout," Tonks said.

"But I doubt all of the other founders hide outs had giant bloody snakes hidden in them," Ron muttered to Harry.

Harry snorted. "No, probably not."

**Slytherin, according to legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within,**

"I don't like the sound of that," Tonks said.

"Nor do I," Amelia said looking intently at the book.

**and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."**

**There was a silence as he finished telling the story, but it wasn't the usual sleepy silence that filled Professor Binns's classes. There was unease in the air as everyone continued to watch him, hoping for more. Professor Binns looked faintly annoyed. "The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," he said. "Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible."**

"Well I highly doubt he would've made it easy to find," Moody said as though anyone who would think it should be easy to find was a complete moron. "He most likely made it where only one of his heirs would be able to enter it."

**Hermione's hand was back in the air. "Sir - what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?"**

"I don't think I want to know," Fleur said quietly grabbing Bill's hand.

**"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the heir of Slytherin alone can control," said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy voice.**

**The class exchanged nervous looks. "I tell you, the thing does not exist," said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster."**

"Just because he hasn't seen it does not mean it doesn't exist," Harry said. "Believe me, it exist."

"I highly doubt that Mr. Potter," Umbridge simpered.

Harry didn't even bother responding he just rolled his eyes.

"Then how exactly do you think Mrs. Norris was petrified?" A seventh year Ravenclaw asked.

"Dark magic of course," Umbridge said her eyes narrowing.

All over the hall people were either rolling their eyes or scoffing. Even those who don't like Harry and would love to prove him a liar know that it exists.

**"But, sir," said Seamus Finnegan, "if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"**

"Exactly," Moody grunted.

**"Nonsense, O'Flaherty," said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. "If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing -"**

"Headmasters aren't infallible," Remus said. "The founders would be able to hide a chamber, and keep it hidden from anyone, even future headmasters or headmistresses."

**"But, Professor," piped up Pavarti Patil, "you'd probably have to use Dark Magic to open it -"**

**"Just because a wizard doesn't use Dark Magic, doesn't mean he can't, Miss Pennyfeather," snapped Professor Binns.**

Fred and George snorted.

"Does he ever get anyones name right?" George asked amused.

"No," Parvarti said.

**"I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore -"**

**"But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't -" began Dean** **Thomas, but Professor Binns had had enough.**

"The students made good points," Kingsley said.

"Even if Dumbledore had found the chamber, he wouldn't of been able to get in," Harry said.

"Why not?" Charlie asked.

"You'll see," Harry said.

Charlie groaned. "I'm getting really sick of everyone saying you'll see."

"Wait, how would you know that Dumbledore wouldn't be able to get in?" Bill asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You'll see," Harry said again.

Charlie sighed and Bill squeezed Fleur's hand.

"I don't think I'm going to like we're going to end up reading about you and the chamber," Bill said.

"Probably not," Harry said.

**"That will do," he said sharply. "It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!"**

**And within five minutes, the class had sunk back into its usual torpor.**

"Of course," Sprout sighed.

**"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony," Ron told Harry and Hermione,**

The Slytherins shot Ron cold looks.

 **as they fought their way through the teeming corridors at the end of the lesson to drop off their bags before dinner. "But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff. I wouldn't be in his house if you paid me.** **Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd've got the train straight back home ..."**

Several people shot Ron glares which caused him to flinch.

"I didn't know!" Ron yelled quickly. "I'm sorry Harry."

"It's alright," Harry said with a shrug. "I never told you, it's not your fault you didn't know."

**Hermione nodded fervently,**

The glares switched to Hermione and she quickly apologized too but Harry waved it off.

**but Harry didn't say anything. His stomach had just dropped unpleasantly. Harry had never told Ron and Hermione that the Sorting Hat had seriously considered putting him in Slytherin.**

"You really should have told us Harry," Hermione told him quietly.

Harry shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal and it never came up."

"You were worrying about it an entire year later, of course it's a big deal," Hermione said quickly. "And of course it never came up, we had no reason to ask if the sorting hat considered putting you in another house."

Harry sighed. "It's fine Hermione."

Hermione huffed but let it go for now.

**He could remember it as though it was yesterday, the small voice that had spoken in his ear when he'd placed the Hat on his head a year before. "You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that ..."**

**But Harry, who had already heard of Slytherin house's reputation for turning out dark wizards, had thought desperately, "Not Slytherin!" and the Hat had said, "Oh well, if you're sure ... better be Gryffindor ..."**

**As they were shunted along the throng, Colin Creevey went past. "Hiya, Harry!"**

**"Hullo, Colin," said Harry automatically.**

"You must've seen him a lot for saying hello to him to be automatic," Fred said amused.

"I did, I still do," Harry said.

**"Harry - Harry - a boy in my class has been saying you're -"**

"What were people saying?" Remus asked, even though he has a pretty good idea.

"I'm sure we'll read it soon enough," Harry said sullenly.

Remus sighed, Harry's words confirmed his suspicion.

**But Colin was so small he couldn't fight against the tide of people bearing him towards the Great Hall; they heard him squeak, "See you, Harry!" and he was gone.**

**"What's a boy in his class saying about you?" Hermione wondered. "That I'm Slytherin's heir, I expect, "said Harry, his stomach dropping another inch or so, as he suddenly remembered the way Justin Finch-Fletchley had run away from him at lunchtime.**

"Oh come on," Tonks groaned. "So what that he was the first at the scene on Halloween, so were Ron and Hermione, and no one is blaming them."

"That's because I'm Harry bloody Potter," Harry said bitterly. "I'm always either the hero or the villain."

"I can't believe people actually thought you were behind the attack," Charlie said, he was genuinely surprised they would blame such a kind boy.

Bill shot Justin an annoyed look. "Neither can I."

Sprout looked at her Hufflepuff in disappointment. _'I can't believe one of my Puffs just accuses an innocent boy over something so horrible. I hope the rest of them don't as well.'_

Justin moved in his seat guiltily.

**"People here'll believe anything," said Ron in disgust.**

Harry snorted. "Everyone in the entire wizarding world will believe anything."

Most of the people in the hall sent him pitying looks, knowing he must be talking about everything the Daily Prophets been saying about him since Cedric's death.

**The crowd thinned and they were able to climb the next staircase without difficulty. "D'you really think there's a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked Hermione.**

**"I don't know," she said, frowning. "Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs. Norris and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be - well - human."**

**As she spoke, they turned a corner and found themselves at the end of the very corridor where the attack had happened.**

"Harry," Remus groaned. "Please tell me that the three of you didn't go poking around?"

Harry shrugged. "We honestly didn't walk there that day on purpose, but once we were there we figured there was no harm in looking around."

"Of course you didn't," Snape sneered. "You three need to learn to mind your own business."

"I'm glad we didn't mind our own business," Ron said quietly so only Harry and Hermione could hear. "If we did then Ginny would be dead right now."

**They stopped and looked. The scene was just as it had been that night, except that there was no stiff cat hanging from the torch bracket, and an empty chair stood against the wall bearing the message "The Chamber has been opened."**

**"That's where Filch has been keeping guard,"**

"Filch is extremely lucky that he wasn't attacked spending so much time by the entrance to the chamber," Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron.

"Well with him there Ginny probably didn't want to risk going into the bathroom," Harry told her.

**Ron muttered. They looked at each other. The corridor was deserted.**

**"Can't hurt to have a poke around," said Harry, dropping his bag and getting to his hands and knees so that he could crawl along, searching for clues.**

"What would you have done if the monster had shown up?" Bill asked frowning.

"Or if the person who was behind the attack came back," Charlie added also frowning.

"It was in the middle of the day," Ron said.

"That's not the point Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said sternly. "You three should've left it for adults to figure out."

"Yeah because that worked out so well in our first year," Ron muttered.

**"Scorch marks!" he said. "Here - and here -" "Come and look at this!" said Hermione. "This is funny ..." Harry got up and crossed to the window next to the message on the wall. Hermione was pointing at the topmost pane, where around twenty spiders were scuttling, apparently fighting to get through a small crack in the glass.**

"That's unusual behavior for spiders," Charlie said to himself.

**A long, silvery thread was dangling like a rope, as though they had all climbed it in their hurry to get outside. "Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" said Hermione wonderingly.**

**"No," said Harry, "have you, Ron? Ron?" He looked over his shoulder. Ron was standing well back, and seemed to be fighting the impulse to run.**

Draco smirked and shot Ron an amused look, Harry saw and shot the Slytherin a glare.

**"What's up?" said Harry.**

**"I - don't - like - spiders," said Ron tensely.**

"Why not?" Dean asked.

Ron shook his head. "I don't wanna talk about it," he muttered.

"I'm sure the book will say," Harry said.

**"I never knew that," said Hermione, looking at Ron in surprise. "You've used spiders in potions loads of times ..."**

**"I don't mind them dead," said Ron, who was carefully looking anywhere but at the window.**

**"I just don't like the way they move ..." Hermione giggled.**

"That's not very nice Hermione," Remus said.

Hermione looked ashamed. "I know and I'm sorry Ron, you just seemed so brave while we were saving the stone in first year. I didn't think you'd be scared of something as small as a spider."

"It's okay," Ron muttered he felt a jolt of happiness that she thought he was brave.

**"It's not funny," said Ron fiercely. "If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my - my teddy bear into a dirty great spider because I broke his toy broomstick.**

Many people shot the twins glares, not knowing which one was Fred.

"I was only five!" Fred said in his defense. "It was accidental magic, it's not like I did it on purpose."

 **You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and ..."** **He broke off, shuddering.**

"I don't blame you," Neville muttered.

"After second year my fear of them became a lot worse," Ron shuddered.

"Why?" Several people asked.

"You'll see," Ron said quickly.

**Hermione was obviously still trying not to laugh.**

**Feeling they had better get off the subject, Harry said, "Remember all that water on the floor? Where did that come from? Someone's mopped it up."**

**"It was about here," said Ron, recovering himself to walk a few paces past Filch's chair and pointing. "Level with this door." He reached for the brass doorknob but suddenly withdrew his hand as though he'd been burned.**

"What's wrong?" Molly asked fretfully.

**"What's the matter?" said Harry.**

Harry broke into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Charlie asked.

Harry shook his head. "Ron had me worried for a second and then...you'll see."

**"Can't go in there," said Ron gruffly, "that's a girls' toilet."**

The hall broke into laughter.

"I see what you meant Harry," Charlie said amused.

**"Oh, Ron, there won't be anyone in there," said Hermione, standing up and coming over. "That's Moaning Myrtle's place. Come on, let's have a look."**

"She's always flooding the bathroom," Hannah said.

**And ignoring the large "Out of Order" sign, she opened the door. It was the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom Harry had ever set foot in. Under a large, cracked and spotted mirror were a row of chipped, stone sinks. The floor was damp and reflected the dull light given off by stubs of a few candles burning low in their holders; the wooden doors to the cubicles were flaking and scratched and one of them was dangling off its hinges.**

"A ghost can't do that much damage," Moody grunted. "Something else has been in there."

"Like what?" Tonks asked.

"The monster maybe," Terry said.

"The girls bathrooms at Hogwarts don't seem very safe," Romilda muttered.

**Hermione put her fingers to her lips and set off towards the end cubicle. When she reached it she said, "Hello, Myrtle, how are you?" Harry and Ron went to look. Moaning Myrtle was floating on the cistern of the toilet, picking a spot on her chin.**

**"This is a girls bathroom," she said, eyeing Ron and Harry suspiciously. "They're not girls."**

"Obviously," Zacharias sneered.

**"No," Hermione agreed. "I just wanted to show them how - er - nice it is in here." She waved vaguely at the dirty old mirror and the damp floor.**

Fred and George snorted.

"I don't think she'll believe that," Fred told her.

**"Ask her if she saw anything," Harry mouthed at Hermione.**

"You probably should've asked her yourself Harry," Tonks told him. "Myrtle is very sensitive, she probably thought you were talking about her."

**"What are you whispering?" said Myrtle, staring at him.**

**"Nothing," said Harry quickly. "We wanted to ask -"**

**"I wish people would stop talking behind my back!" said Myrtle, in a voice choked with tears. "I do have feelings, you know, even if I am dead."**

**"Myrtle, no one wants to upset you," said Hermione. "Harry only -"**

**"No one wants to upset me! That's a good one!" howled Myrtle. "My life was nothing but misery at this place and now people come along ruining my death!"**

"If she was so miserable why'd she come back as a ghost?" Cormac asked. "That seems stupid."

 **"We wanted to ask you if you'd seen anything funny lately," said Hermione quickly,** " **because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween."**

Several people shot Hermione amused looks.

"Her front door?" Charlie asked, his lips twitching.

**"Did you see anyone near here that night?" said Harry.**

**"I wasn't paying attention," said Myrtle dramatically. "Peeves upset me so much I came in here that night and tried to kill myself.**

Amused looks and raised eyebrows were sent towards the book.

"Uh...she does realize that she's dead doesn't she?" Neville asked awkwardly.

**Then, of course, I remembered that I'm - that I'm -"**

**"Already dead," said Ron helpfully.**

The twins snorted as several people rolled their eyes.

"Your little brother isn't very tactful is he?" Fleur asked Bill quietly.

"Not at all," Bill whispered.

**Myrtle gave a tragic sob, rose up in the air, turned over and dived head first into the toilet, splashing water all over them and vanishing from sight; from the direction of her muffled sobs, she had come to rest somewhere in the U-bend.**

Some of the girls wrinkled their noses.

"She's very dramatic," Anthony said amused.

**Harry and Ron stood there with their mouths open, but Hermione shrugged wearily and said, "Honestly, that was almost cheerful for Myrtle...**

"If that's cheerful I'd hate to see her miserable," Stewart Ackerley said.

**come on, let's go." Harry barely closed the door on Myrtle's gurgling sobs when a loud voice made all three of them jump. "RON!"**

"Enter the prat." George and Fred said.

Percy shot his twin brothers a glare.

**Percy Weasley had stopped dead at the head of the stairs, prefect badge agleam, an expression of complete shock on his face.**

"Well I wasn't expecting to see my brother and his best friends walk out of the girls bathroom," Percy said stiffly.

**"That's a girls' bathroom!" he gasped. "What were you -?"**

"Honestly if I saw my little brother walking out of the girls bathroom I'd be shocked too," Oliver Rivers said.

"He does have a point," Bill pointed out.

Ron shot his older brother an annoyed look.

**"Just having a look around," Ron shrugged. "Clues, you know ..." Percy swelled in a manner that reminded Harry forcefully of Mrs. Weasley.**

**"Get - away - from - there -" he said, striding towards them and starting to chivvy them along, flapping his arms. "Don't you care what this looks like? Coming back here while everyone's at dinner ..."**

"It's not like it mattered, everyone already thought he was the heir," Ron said.

"Just because everyone already suspects him doesn't mean you have to give them another reason to," Remus said.

**"Why shouldn't we be here?" said Ron hotly, stopping short and glaring at Percy. "Listen, we never laid a finger on that cat!"**

**"That's what I told Ginny,"** **said Percy fiercely, "but she still seems to think you're going to be expelled; I've never seen her so upset, crying her eyes out. You might think of her, all the first-years are thoroughly over-excited by this business -"**

George and Fred each squeezed one of their sisters hands.

**"You don't care about Ginny," said Ron, whose ears were reddening now. "You're just worried I'm going to mess up your chances of being Head Boy!"**

"That's not true," Percy said too quietly for anyone to hear.

"He cares," Arthur said.

The twins and Ron snorted causing Arthur to sigh.

 **"Five points from Gryffindor!" Percy said tersely, fingering his prefect badge.** **"And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more detective work or I'll write to Mum!"**

"That's low," Ernie said.

**Harry, Ron and Hermione chose seats as far as possible from Percy in the common room that night. Ron was still in a very bad temper and kept blotting his Charms homework. When he reached absently for his wand to remove smudges, it ignited the parchment.**

"You really should've told us that your wand broke," Arthur told his youngest son.

**Fuming almost as much as his homework, Ron slammed The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 shut. To Harry's surprise, Hermione followed suit.**

"This can't be good," Fred said.

"If Hermione stops doing her homework you know somethings up," George announced to the hall.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I do think some things are more important than homework," she muttered.

Harry heard her and sent her an amused look.

**"Who can it be, though?" she said in a quiet voice, as though continuing a conversation they had just been having. "Who'd want all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"**

"Voldemort and his death eaters," Moody grunted.

Umbridge and Fudge both glared at the ex-auror who wasn't fazed in the slightest.

 **"Let's think," said Ron in mock puzzlement. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"** **He looked at Hermione.**

**Hermione looked back, unconvinced. "If you're talking about Malfoy -"**

Draco rolled his eyes. "Of course you would think it's me."

Harry shot him an annoyed look. "You didn't exactly say anything to make us believe otherwise, and your opinions of muggleborns are known to everyone."

Draco sneered at him and Harry rolled his eyes.

**"Of course I am!" said Ron. "You heard him: 'You'll be next, Mudbloods!' Come on, you've only got to look at his foul rat face to know it's him -"**

"He really didn't help himself by saying that," Neville said.

**"Malfoy, the heir of Slytherin?" said Hermione skeptically.**

**"Look at his family," said Harry, closing his books, too. "The whole lot of them has been in Slytherin, he's always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough."**

_'He definitely is evil enough.'_ Arthur thought.

**"They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!" said Ron. "Handing it down, father to son ..."**

**"Well," said Hermione cautiously, "I suppose it's possible ..."**

**"But how do we prove it?" said Harry darkly.**

"You don't," Molly said. "You let the teachers handle it."

**"There might be a way," said Hermione slowly, dropping her voice still further with a quick glance across the room at Percy. "Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, very dangerous. We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect."**

Everyone in the hall turned to look at Hermione in shock.

"Is Hermione actually suggesting that you break schools rules?" Fred asked in shock.

"Miss Granger," McGonagall said sternly. "What exactly did you suggest?"

Hermione paled and look down.

The adults in the hall groaned and the students instantly look interested.

"Whatever she suggested is gonna be good," George said rubbing his hands together.

**"If, in a month or so, you feel like explaining, you will let us know, won't you?" said Ron irritably.**

**"All right," said Hermione coldly. "What we'd need to do is to get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realizing it's us."**

"That's not possible," Cho said.

Snape, Moody and Remus realized what she was suggesting and their eyes widened.

**"But that's impossible," Harry said, as Ron laughed.**

**"No, it's not," said Hermione. "All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion."**

A deafening silence filled the great hall as everyone looked at the trio who were trying to look as innocent as possible.

"How exactly were you planning on getting polyjuice potion?" McGonagall asked her lips thin.

"You three made it didn't you?" Remus asked pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Impossible." Many people said.

"There is no way that three second years could've made polyjuice potion," Snape sneered.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that Severus," Moody said with a twisted smile. "These three seem to have a knack for doing the impossible."

"And one of them just happens to be Hermione Granger," Fred said.

"Smartest witch of her age," George added.

"If anyone could make it she could," Fred and George said together.

"You better not have!" Molly and McGonagall both said.

**"What's that?" said Ron and Harry together.**

**"Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago -"**

**"D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?" muttered Ron.**

Snape glared at Ron and Molly shot him a disapproving look.

**"It transforms you into somebody else. Think about it! We could change into three of the Slytherins. No one would know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He's probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him."**

"If it didn't involve brewing a dangerous potion that is much to advanced for second years to be attempting and against the rules it would actually be a good plan," Remus admitted.

**"This Polyjuice Potion stuff sounds a bit dodgy to me," said Ron, frowning. "What if we were stuck looking like three of the Slytherins for ever?"**

"That wouldn't be good," Neville said.

"That is only one of the possible consequences you could have faced," Snape hissed. "Do you know just how many different horrible things could happen if you were to brew the potion wrong?" Snape's eyes were narrowed on the trio. "Which is why it's a NEWT level potion," he snapped.

**"It wears off after a while," said Hermione, waving her hand impatiently, "but getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult... Snape said it was in a book called Moste Potente Potions and it's bound to be in the Restricted Section of the library."**

"How exactly did you get it from there Mr. Potter?" Umbridge asked with a sickly sweet smile.

"We had permission," Harry said with a smirk.

"Let me guess," Sprout huffed. "Lockhart?"

Hermione nodded and the teachers exchanged half annoyed, half exasperated looks.

**There was only one way to get out a book from the Restricted Section: you needed a signed note of permission from a teacher. "Hard to see why we'd want the book, really," said Ron, "if we weren't going to try and make one of the potions."**

**"I think," said Hermione, "that if we made it sound as though we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance ..."**

**"Oh, come on, no teacher's going to fall for that," said Ron. "They'd have to be really thick ..."**

"Definitely Lockhart." Fred and George said.

"That's the end of this chapter," Dennis announced to the hall. "Who wants to read next."

"I will," Alicia said grabbing the book.


	10. Rogue Bludger

Alicia looked at the chapter title and frowned, she remembered this game like it was yesterday. **"The Rogue Bludger."**

Harry winced, remembering not only getting hit by the bludger but also what that idiot Lockhart did.

"The rogue bludger?" Charlie asked looking worried. "There shouldn't be any rogue bludgers at Hogwarts."

"You didn't good hurt did you?" Molly asked worriedly.

Harry sighed. "You'll find out."

**Since the episode of the pixies,Professor Lockhart had not brought live creatures to class.**

"I'm surprised the man actually learned something," Charlie said.

"I wonder what he did instead," Tonks said. "He didn't talk about himself all period did he?"

Harry scowled. "No he did something much, much worse."

"What can be worse than an entire period devoted to talking about Lockhart?" Tonks asked, she wasn't one of the many women who was ever infatuated with the man.

"It'll be more funny if you read about it," Ron said his lips twitching.

Harry shot his best friend and annoyed look. "Funny for you maybe, for me not so much."

"Of course it involved Harry," Remus sighed. "That man pays way too much attention to you."

**Instead, he read passages from his books to them,**

"Could you imagine what class would be like if Umbridge read passages to us from that horrible book she gave us?" Ron asked Harry quietly.

Harry cringed. "Now that would be torture."

**and sometimes re-enacted some of the more dramatic bits.**

"That isn't educational," Amelia frowned. _'I never believed the man was as great as his books made him out to be, but I never imagined he was this bad.'_

**He usually picked Harry to help him with these reconstructions;**

"Of course he did," Remus said.

"You really do have horrible luck," Charlie said.

Harry snorted. "Don't I know it."

**So far, Harry had been forced to play a simple Transylvanian villager Lockhart had cured of a Babbling Curse,**

"It actually was kind of funny," Hermione said trying not to laugh.

"No it wasn't," Harry grumbled.

**a yeti with a head-cold,and a vampire who had been unable to eat anything except lettuce since Lockhart had dealt with him.**

"I was under the impression that vampires required blood to survive," Bill said dryly. "But maybe I'm wrong."

**Harry was hauled to the front of the class during their very next Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, this time acting a werewolf.**

Remus chuckled. "I wish I could've seen that."

Most of the hall looked amused, Harry however looked very annoyed.

Umbridge sneered. _'Filthy half-breed, I can't believe Dumbledore invited the man back here, he shouldn't be anywhere near children.'_

 **If he hadn't had a very good reason for keeping Lockhart in a good mood, he would have refused to do it. "Nice loud howl, Harry - exactly - and then, if you'll believe it,** "

"I don't." Fred and George said.

**I pounced - like this - slammed him to the floor – thus**

"He didn't slam you to the floor did he?" Molly asked half furious, half worried.

"Uh...he tried," Harry said awkwardly.

Those who were in Harry's defense class snickered.

"What's so funny about that?" Arthur asked frowning.

"Lockhart pounced but Harry moved out of the way and he slammed into the floor," Dean said laughing.

The hall broke into laughter picturing the horrible professor slamming himself into the floor.

**\- with one hand, I managed to hold him down - with my other, I put my wand to his throat - I then screwed up my remaining strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm –**

"At least he used the name of a real charm this time," Flitwick squeaked.

"That's actually a real thing? The homorphus charm or whatever?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Remus answered looking annoyed. "However if you tried to use it on a werewolf you'd be dead, he also wouldn't be able to hold a werewolf down in the first place."

**he let out a piteous moan - go on, Harry - higher than that – go on."**

Harry scowled while people snickered.

**The bell rang and Lockhart got to his feet. "Homework: compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf!**

"You had to write a poem?" Bill asked in disbelief.

The teachers frowned.

"Did you actually do it?" Charlie asked his brother.

Ron snorted. "I never did my homework in that class."

**Signed copies of Magical Me to the author of the best one!"**

"That's a horrible prize," Lee Jordan said with an exaggerated shudder.

**to the back of the class, where Ron and Hermione were waiting. "Ready?" Harry muttered. "Wait till everyone's gone," said Hermione nervously. "All right ..." She approached Lockhart's desk, a piece of paper clutched tightly in her hand, Harry and Ron right behind her.**

All of the adults sent the trio disapproving looks and Umbridge scowled.

"I can't believe you guys are actually asking him," Lisa said.

**"Er - Professor Lockhart?" Hermione stammered. "I wanted to - to get this book out from the library. Just for background reading." She held out the piece of paper, her hand shaking slightly.**

Moody grunted. "It'd be obvious to anyone with a brain that you're up to something."

"It's a good thing Lockhart doesn't have a brain then," Ron said smirking.

Umbridge scowled. _'These children are blatantly disrespectful to their professors and none of the staff reprimand them, no wonder they lie so much.'_

**"But the thing is, it's in the Restricted Section of the library, so I need a teacher to sign for it - I'm sure it would help me understand what you say in Gadding with Ghouls about slow acting venoms ..."**

"If he falls for that he's even dumber than I thought," Tracey whispered to Daphne.

**"Ah, Gadding with Ghouls!" said Lockhart, taking the note from Hermione and smiling widely at her. "Possibly my very favorite book. You enjoyed it?"**

**"Oh, yes," said Hermione eagerly. "So clever, the way you trapped that last one with the tea-strainer ..."**

The adults looked at the book in disbelief while the students rolled their eyes.

"You can't trap a ghoul with a tea strainer," Kingsley said trying to suppress his laughter.

"I don't know what's worse, that Lockhart seriously wrote that or that people actually believed him," Harry said shaking his head.

**"Well, I'm sure no one will mind me giving the best student in the year a little extra help," said Lockhart warmly, and he pulled out an enormous peacock quill.**

Most of the males in the hall make faces of the utmost revulsion.

"Who buys peacock quills?" Sue Li asked looking sickened.

**"Yes, nice, isn't it?" he said, misreading the revolted look on Ron's face.**

Harry snickered. "The look on your face was priceless."

**"I usually save it for book signings." He scrawled an enormous loopy signature on the note and handed it back to Hermione.**

"Did he even read it?" McGonagall asked with thin lips.

"Nope," Ron said smirking.

"Of course he didn't," Snape sneered. "The man would sign anything if it stood still long enough."

**"So, Harry," said Lockhart, while Hermione folded the note with fumbling fingers and slipped it into her bag, "tomorrow's the first Quidditch match of the season, I believe?Gryffindor against Slytherin, is it not?I hear you're a useful player.**

"Useful?" Oliver exclaimed. "He's the best bloody seeker Hogwarts has ever seen!"

The rest of the hall agreed with Oliver's statement, the other houses quidditch teams admitted it to themselves grudgingly.

"Unfortunately," Roger Davies, the Ravenclaw quidditch captain mumbled.

**I was a Seeker, too.**

"No he wasn't," Charlie said looking annoyed.

**I was asked to try for the National Squad,**

"That man is delusional," Tonks said in exasperation.

"Does he actually expect anyone to believe that?" Hannah asked incredulously.

"Unfortunately people did," Harry muttered.

**but I preferred to dedicate my life to the eradication of the Dark Forces.**

Harry snorted.

**Still, if ever you feel the need for a little private training, don't hesitate to ask.**

Everyone in the hall looked at the book once again in utter disbelief.

"That git thought that he could actually teach you, Harry Potter, the youngest seeker at Hogwarts in a century something about quidditch?" Alicia asked looking frustrated.

**Always happy to pass on my expertise to less able players ..."**

"He did not just say that," Angelina snapped.

"Had he even see Harry play?" Katie asked raising an eyebrow.

**Harry made an indistinct noise in his throat and then hurried off after Ron and Hermione.**

"I take it you didn't like that comment?" Neville asked amused.

Harry gave him a look that said, are you seriously asking me that. "No I didn't."

**"I don't believe it," he said, as the three of them examined the signature on the note, "He didn't even look at the book we wanted."**

"That man should never have been a professor," Vector muttered under her breath.

**"That's because he's a brainless git," said Ron. "But who cares, we've got what we needed."**

**"He is not a brainless git," said Hermione shrilly, as they half-ran towards the library.**

Hermione turned red and groaned. "I was such an idiot."

**"Just because he said you were the best student in the year ..." The dropped their voices as they entered the muffled stillness of the library. Madam Pince, the librarian, was a thin, irritable woman who looked like an underfed vulture.**

Madam Pince shot Harry a stern look while many of the students snickered.

"The two of you shouldn't approach her with Miss Granger," Moody grunted. "It'll look suspicious."

**"Moste Potente Potions?" she repeated suspiciously,**

"I should've known that something was up," Madam Pince muttered.

**trying to take the note from Hermione; but Hermione wouldn't let go.**

**"I was wondering if I could keep it," she said breathlessly.**

Fred and George groaned.

"You've got to be kidding me?" The twins asked in perfect synchronization.

Hermione turned red and looked down while mumbling something about only being twelve.

**"Oh, come on," said Ron, wrenching it from her grasp and thrusting it at Madam Pince. "We'll get you another autograph. Lockhart'll sign anything if it stands still long enough."**

Snape blanched at having said almost the same thing as Ron.

"Ron and Snape think alike!" Fred said loudly with a smirk.

Ron grimaced before his face turned into a scowl. "Shut up!" He snapped.

The hall broke into snickers until Snape began to glare at everyone, which effectively silenced everyone.

**Madam Pince held the note up to the light, as though determined to detect a forgery,**

"It's a good thing you had Hermione hand over the note, it would've been way to suspicious if either of you had done it," Bill said.

"That's why we decided to have her do it," Harry said. "No one would find it odd that Hermione wanted an advanced book."

**but it passed the test.**

"I knew the book was too advanced for them," Madam Pince said. "I should've checked with Minerva."

Minerva shot a stern look at the trio before looking at the librarian. "It isn't your fault that those three had...that man write them a note."

**She stalked away between the lofty shelves and returned several minutes later carrying a large moldy-looking book.**

Several people wrinkled their noses in disgust.

**Hermione put it carefully into her bag and they left, trying not to walk too quickly or look too guilty.**

"I'm sure you did a great job of not looking guilty," Fred said laughing.

**Five minutes later, they were barricaded in Moaning Myrtle's out-of-order bathroom once again. Hermione had overridden Ron's objections by pointing out that it was the last place anyone in their right minds would go, so they were guaranteed some privacy.**

"Not bad Granger," Moody grunted approvingly.

"Alastor!" McGonagall yelled while others yelled. "Moody!"

**Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her cubicle, but they were ignoring her, and she them.**

"It's always best to just ignore her," Padma said.

**Hermione opened Moste Potente Potions carefully and the three of them bent over the damp-spotted pages. It was clear from a glance why it belonged in the Restricted Section. Some of the potions had effects almost too gruesome to think about,**

"Oh don't say that." Molly moaned.

Snape gave the trio his fiercest glare. "That's exactly why it shouldn't be attempted by three second years, especially when two of you are abysmal at potions."

Harry and Ron glared at Snape.

"Maybe we wouldn't be so bad if you weren't always breathing down our necks," Harry snapped, once again feeling angry.

"Don't take that tone with me Potter," Snape said in a dangerous voice.

Harry rolled his eyes.

 **and there were some very unpleasant illustrations, which included a man who seemed to have been turned inside out and a witch sprouting several extra pairs of arms out of her head**.

Fred and George exchanged looks that made those who saw them feel uneasy.

"That gives me some great ideas," George said grinning.

"I'll be removing that book for the remainder of the year," Snape sneered.

McGonagall sighed resignedly. "I agree with you Severus."

**"Here it is," said Hermione excitedly, as she found the page headed The Polyjuice Potion. It was decorated with drawings of people halfway through transforming into other people. Harry sincerely hoped the artist had imagined the looks of intense pain on their faces.**

Many people winced.

"Does it hurt?" Neville asked hesitantly.

"You don't even know if they make it right," Cormac said pompously.

Harry rolled his eyes at Cormac then looked at Neville. "I'm sure the book will explain."

**"This is the most complicated potion I've ever seen,"**

"That's a sign that you shouldn't be doing it," Molly said hotly.

"She said complicated not impossible," Ron told his mother who sent him a stern look.

**said Hermione, as they scanned the recipe. "Lacewing flies, leeches, flux weed and knotgrass," she murmured, running her finger down the list of ingredients. "Well. They're easy enough, they're in the student store-cupboard, we can help ourselves.**

"Not all of them are," Susan said.

"Where did you get the others from?" Hannah asked.

Hermione all of a sudden found the goblet in front of her very entertaining and Snape narrowed his eyes.

 _'They better not have done what I think they did.'_ Snape thought, gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyes onto the trio.

**Oooh, look, powdered horn of a Bicorn -don't know where we're going to get that ... Shredded skin of a Boomslang - that'll be tricky, too - and of course a bit of whoever we want to change into."**

"What does that mean?" Lavender asked looking repulsed.

"Exactly what it sounds like," Harry said grimacing at the reminder.

"You mean you have to drink bits of Slytherin?" A fourth year Gryffindor asked turning green.

**"Excuse me?" said Ron sharply. "What d'you mean, a bit of whoever we're changing into? I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's toenails in it ..."**

Everyone in the hall looked sick at the thought, even Draco.

"That's disgusting!" Parvarti squealed in disgust.

"Hair would suffice," Snape sneered.

**Hermione continued as though she hadn't heard him.**

"Nothing new there," Ron muttered.

 **"We don't have to worry about that yet, though, because we add those bits last** ..." **Ron turned, speechless, to Harry, who had another worry. "D'you realize how much we're going to have to steal, Hermione?**

"Steal?" Arthur asked frowning. "I don't want any of you stealing."

"This already happened dad," Ron said quickly.

"You could've just owled and apothecary," Remus said looking at the trio with disappointment.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Hermione said quietly to herself.

**Shredded skin of Boomslang, that's definitely not in the students' cupboard. What're we going to do, break into Snape's private stores? I don't know if that's a good idea ..."**

Everyone turned to look at the trio as though they had a death wish.

"You three didn't actually consider stealing from Snape?" Justin asked as though he thought they were crazy.

"Do you have a death wish?" Anthony exclaimed.

The trio exchanged uneasy looks after they saw the disappointed looks of all the adults, with the exception of Snape who was glaring so harshly that if looks could kill they would've combusted into ash.

Umbridge smirked. _'Not only is Potter a liar, but he is also a thief. Everyone will finally see his true colors.'_

**Hermione shut the book with a snap. "Well, if you two are going to chicken out, fine," she said. There were bright pink patches on her cheeks and her eyes were brighter than usual. "I don't want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggle-borns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion.**

"That's not a good enough reason for you three to do something so dangerous," Sprout said sternly, which is unusual for the usual gentle witch.

"We had to do something!" Ron exclaimed.

"Hermione's a muggleborn, we were worried that something would happen to her," Harry said angrily.

"We couldn't just sit around and do nothing!" Ron yelled turning red.

"You should've left it for adults to handle," McGonagall said austerely.

"To us it seemed like you guys weren't doing anything," Harry said loudly. "And after what happened in our first year, we didn't have much faith in the adults at this school."

"And if we hadn't done something than people could've died," Ron finished brusquely.

The adults exchanged half angry, half resigned looks.

"That doesn't mean we have to like it," Molly huffed.

**But if you don't want to find out if it's Malfoy, I'll go straight to Madam Pince now and hand the book back in ..."**

"I can't believe Hermione is trying to convince you two to break the rules," Fred said trying to break some of the tension.

"Yeah, normally it's the other way around," George said.

**"I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be persuading us to break rules," said Ron."All right, we'll do it. But not toenails, OK?"**

**"How long will it take to make, anyway?" said Harry, as Hermione, looking happier, opened the book again.**

**"Well, as the fluxweed has got to be picked at the full moon and the lacewings have got to be stewed for twenty-one days ... I'd say it'd be ready in about a month, if we can get all the ingredients."**

"That's a long time to wait," Fleur said.

"I had to do something," Hermione sighed. "I felt better having something to do."

**"A month?" said Ron."Malfoy could have attacked half the Muggle-borns in the school by then!"**

Draco rolled his eyes.

**But Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously again, and he added swiftly, "But it's the best plan we've got, so full steam ahead, I say."**

Fred and George snickered.

"Someone is whipped," Fred sang amused.

"Shut up!" Ron snapped as more people joined in with the snickering.

**However, while Hermione was checking the coast was clear for them to leave the bathroom, Ron muttered to Harry, "It'll be a lot less hassle if you can just knock Malfoy off his broom tomorrow."**

"You should've told us," Fred said smirking.

"We would've sent some bludgers his way," George grinned widely.

Draco sent a glare at the twins, who were unfazed by it.

**Harry woke early on Saturday morning and lay for a while thinking about the coming Quidditch match. He was nervous, mainly at the thought of what Wood would say if Gryffindor lost, but also at the idea of facing a team mounted on the fastest racing brooms gold could buy.**

**He had never wanted to beat Slytherin so badly.**

"How's this time different from every other game you've played against Slytherin?" Bill asked. "You always want to beat them."

"It was the first time I was playing against Malfoy, and he had just called Hermione that foul word, " Harry said shooting Draco a glare. "And I thought he was the heir of Slytherin."

**After half an hour of lying there with his insides churning, he got up, dressed, and went down to breakfast early, where he found the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team huddled at the long, empty table, all looking uptight and not speaking much.**

"Even Fred and George?" Charlie asked looking surprised.

"Yeah," Angelina said.

**As eleven o'clock approached, the whole school started to make its way down to the Quidditch stadium. It was a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air. Ron and Hermione came hurrying over to wish Harry good luck as he entered the changing rooms.**

**The team pulled on their scarlet Gryffindor robes, and then sat down to listen to Wood's usual pre-match pep talk. "Slytherin have better brooms than us," he began," no point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms.**

"Well at least he realized that the rider is more important than the broom itself," Remus said approvingly.

**We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers -" ("Too true," muttered George Weasley. "I haven't been properly dry since August")**

Angelina, Katie and Alicia shook their heads fondly at George.

**"- and we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team."**

The Gryffindor table broke into cheers while the Slytherin quidditch team scowled.

**Chest heaving with emotion, Wood turned to Harry. "It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father.**

"You shouldn't of said that," Hermione sighed.

"Why not?" Oliver asked looking confused.

"Because Harry hates letting people down," Ron said. "He'd rather hurt himself then let anyone down."

**Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying,**

Harry's old quidditch team, Hermione and Ron all glared at Oliver and McGonagall's lips thinned and turned white.

"I didn't mean it literally!" Oliver yelled.

"Well Harry took it literally," Fred growled.

"He could've been killed," George snapped.

The hall looked taken aback, the Weasley twins never get mad.

Oliver paled.

Remus looked at the book worriedly, he doesn't like the sound of that.

**because we've got to win today, we've got to."**

**"So no pressure, Harry," said Fred, winking at him.**

"You don't seem worried there," Jimmy pointed out.

"I didn't know that he would take Oliver's words literally," Fred said.

Harry rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I wanted to win."

"Boys and quidditch," Hermione muttered.

 **As they walked out onto the pitch, a roar of noise greet them; mainly cheers, because Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were anxious to see Slytherin beaten, but the Slytherins in the crowd made their boos and hisses heard too. Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands, which they did, giving each other threatening stares and gripping rather harder than was necessary**.

"Some things never change," Remus sighed.

"What do you mean?" Fleur asked.

"Slytherin versus Gryffindor quidditch matches have always been violent, and the captains always try to throw the other off their game," Remus explained.

**"On my whistle," said Madam Hooch, "three ... two ... one ..." With a roar from the crowd to speed them upwards, the fourteen players rose towards the leaden sky.**

**Harry flew higher than any of them, squinting around for the Snitch. "All right there, Scarhead?" yelled Malfoy, shooting underneath him as though to show off the speed of his broom.**

"How original," Daphne said rolling her eyes.

**Harry had no time to reply. At that very moment, a heavy black Bludger came pelting towards him; he avoided it so narrowly that he felt it ruffle his hair as it passed.**

"That was close," Charlie said.

**"Close one, Harry!" said George, streaking past him with his club in his hand, ready to knock the Bludger back towards a Slytherin.**

**Harry saw George give the Bludger a powerful whack in the direction of Adrian Pucey, but the Bludger changed direction in mid-air and shot straight for Harry again.**

"That's not supposed to happen," Tonks said frowning.

"Someone's cursed it," Moody growled. "And I highly doubt it was a student."

**Harry dropped quickly to avoid it and George managed to hit it hard towards Malfoy.**

**Once again, the Bludger swerved like a boomerang and shot at Harry's head.**

"Why did it always have to aim for my head?" Harry muttered.

"Because that's how your luck works," Hermione told him seriously.

**Harry put on a burst of speed and zoomed towards the other end of the pitch. He could hear the bludger whistling along behind was going on? Bludgers never concentrated on one player like this, it was their job to try and unseat as many as possible ...**

**Fred Weasley was waiting for the Bludger at the other end. Harry ducked as Fred swung at the Bludger with all his might; the Bludger was knocked off course.**

"Thank goodness you two were watching out for him," Molly said shooting Harry a worried glance.

"Of course we were," Fred said, looking insulted that she would think otherwise.

"He's our honorary little brother," George said firmly.

Harry smiled at the twins who grinned back.

**"That's done it!" Fred yelled happily, but he was wrong; as though it was magnetically attracted towards Harry, the Bludger pelted after him once more and Harry was forced to fly off at full speed.**

Snuffles growled at the book. _'When I find out who cursed that bludger...'_

**It had started to rain; Harry felt heavy drops fall onto his face, splattering onto his glasses. He didn't have a clue what was going on in the rest of the game until he heard Lee Jordan, who was commentating, say, "Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero."**

**The Slytherins' superior brooms were clearly doing their jobs, and meanwhile the mad Bludger was doing all it could to knock Harry out of the air. Fred and George were now flying so close to him on either side that Harry could see nothing at all except their flailing arms and had no chance to look for the Snitch, let alone catch it.**

"That's definitely going to help the Slytherin team," Charlie sighed running a hand through his hair. "That and the other bludger is free to attack the other Gryffindor players, with no beater to defend them."

"We had to stay with Harry," Fred growled out. "The thing was trying to take his head off."

"We know you did," Alicia assured them.

**"Someone's - tampered - with - this - Bludger -" Fred grunted, swinging his bat with all his might at it as it launched a new attack on Harry.**

**"We need time out,"**

"Finally," Madam Hooch said. "You boys should've called one right away, Potter could've been seriously injured."

**said George, trying to signal to Wood and stop the Bludger breaking Harry's nose at the same time.**

"Thanks for that by the way," Harry said.

The twins waved his thanks off.

**Wood had obviously got the message.**

**Madam Hooch's whistle rang out and Harry, Fred and George dived for the ground, still trying to avoid the mad Bludger. "What's going on?" said Wood, as the Gryffindor team huddled together, while Slytherins in the crowd jeered. "We're being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when the Bludger stopped Angelina scoring?"**

**"We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger from murdering Harry, Oliver,"said George angrily. "Someone's fixed it - it won't leave Harry alone, it hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins must have done something to it."**

"Of course," Montague sneered. "Automatically blame us."

"It usually is." Fred said, completely unconcerned with all the glares he was receiving from the Slytherins.

**"But the bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then ..." said Wood anxiously.**

"That doesn't mean anything," Moody scoffed. "If someone wants to do something bad enough, they'll find a way."

"Would you of known how to get into her office?" Fred asked, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Of course," Moody barked. "Did you even need to ask?"

"Will you teach us?" The twins asked excitedly.

"Absolutely not!" Molly yelled.

"You two would just cause more trouble," Moody grunted. "So no."

"Don't worry boys, I can teach you." Tonks said, smiling innocently back at all of the adults who were sending her stern looks.

"Wicked!" The twins yelled before high-fiving.

"I thought you two know how to pick locks?" Neville asked.

"Of course we do," Fred said in a good impression of Percy.

"But magical locks are different," George told him.

**Madam Hooch was walking towards them. Over her shoulder, Harry could see the Slytherin team jeering and pointing in his direction.**

**"Listen," said Harry, as she came nearer and nearer, "with you two flying round me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the snitch is if it flies up my sleeve," said Harry.**

"With your luck it's possible," Charlie said amused.

**"Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one."**

"Reckless," George muttered, his cheerful mood gone.

"Stupid," Fred snarled under his breath.

Remus sighed. "That's not a good idea."

"A bludger can do major damage when it isn't aiming for a specific person, but if it's aiming for you..." Tonks trailed off looking anxious and worried.

**"Don't be thick," said Fred. "It'll take your head off."**

"It's weird hearing the twins being responsible," Ron muttered to Harry.

**Wood was looking from Harry to the Weasleys "Oliver, this is mad," said Alicia Spinnet angrily. "You can't let Harry deal with that thing on his own."**

**"Let's ask for an inquiry -" "If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match!" said Harry. "And I'm not losing to Slytherin just because of a mad Bludger!**

"Winning a game isn't worth your life Harry," Remus said in exasperation.

"The whole team tried to convince you to stop playing, yet you didn't listen. After everything we've read so far, I don't know why I'm still surprised," McGonagall said frowning.

"Not the whole team," Angelina said shooting Oliver a look.

McGonagall saw her looking at Oliver and sighed. "Of course."

Oliver looked ashamed, which actually surprised most people. Everyone knows how obsessed with quidditch he is.

**Come on, Oliver; tell them to leave me alone!"**

"Of course you would ask that," Hermione said completely vexed. "No regard for your own safety."

Harry gave his best friend an annoyed look. "I do to care for my own safety."

Many people sent him looks of disbelief and he rolled his eyes.

**"This is all your fault," George said angrily to Wood. "'Get the Snitch or die trying' - what a stupid thing to tell him!"**

"It was," Molly huffed.

 _'Of course Potter would continue to play, can't resist winning a game of quidditch can he?'_ Snape thought bitterly.

**Madam Hooch had joined them. "Ready to resume play?" she asked Wood. Wood looked at the determined look on Harry's face. "All right," he said. "Fred, George, you heard Harry - leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own.**

McGonagall groaned. _'Maybe I shouldn't of let Oliver be captain. He is an amazing player, but he shouldn't of let Harry continue to play.'_

"Sacrificing Harry for a game," Bill hissed.

"He wanted to play!" Oliver said quickly in his defense. "I know I shouldn't of let him, but he looked so determined."

"Of course he did," Hermione muttered. "Like I said before, no regard for his own safety."

**The rain was falling more heavily now. On Madam Hooch's whistle, Harry kicked hard into the air and heard the tell-tale whoosh of the Bludger behind him. Higher and higher Harry climbed. He looped and swooped, spiraled, zig-zagged and rolled.**

"At least you're a good flyer," Charlie said. "Not many people would be able to continuously outfly a rogue bludger."

**Slightly dizzy, he nevertheless kept his eyes wide open. Rain was speckling his glasses and ran up his nostrils as he hung upside down, avoiding another fierce dive from the Bludger.**

"As much as I don't agree with him continuing to play," Hermione said somewhat hesitantly. "It was amazing flying."

"He did look brilliant," Susan said.

"I thought he was just trying to show off," Zacharias said in his usual pompous way.

"Of course you did," Ron said angrily.

**He could hear laughter from the crowd; he knew he must look very stupid,**

"You did," Pansy sneered.

"Nobody asked you Parkinson," Daphne drawled in a perfect imitation of Draco. "I highly doubt you could've outflew a rogue bludger."

Pansy glared at her year mate but said nothing.

**but the rogue Bludger was heavy and couldn't change direction as quickly as he could. He began a kind of roller-coaster ride around the edges of the stadium, squinting through the silver sheets of rain to the Gryffindor goalposts, where Adrian Pucey was trying to get past Wood ... A whistling in Harry's ear told him the Bludger had just missed him again; he turned right over and sped in the opposite direction.**

**"Training for the ballet, Potter?" yelled Malfoy,**

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You really need to come up with better insults."

Draco scowled, he was about to say something, but all of the glares coming his way stopped him.

**as he was forced to do a stupid kind of twirl in mid-air to dodge the Bludger. Off Harry fled, the Bludger trailing a few feet behind him: and then, glaring back at Malfoy in hatred, he saw it, the Golden Snitch.**

**It was hovering inches above Malfoy's left ear - and Malfoy, busy laughing at Harry, hadn't seen it.**

The hall broke into snickers.

The Slytherin team glared at Malfoy who had turned pink.

"If he hadn't been such a git, he might've actually had a chance," Harry smirked.

**For an agonizing moment, Harry hung in mid-air, not daring to speed towards Malfoy in case he looked up and saw the Snitch.**

"You don't want to stay still with that bludger after you," Charlie said looking worried.

**WHAM!**

The hall winced as one.

"How bad?" Remus asked frowning.

"From the bludger? Not that bad," Harry said.

"What do you mean from the bludger? What else happens?" Molly asked frantically.

Arthur grabbed her hand to calm her down. "If we let her read, I'm sure we'll find out dear."

**He had stayed a second too long. The Bludger had hit him at last, smashed into his elbow, and Harry felt his arm break.**

"That's not too bad," Charlie said in relief. "I've broken my arm playing quidditch a few times."

**Dimly, dazed by the searing pain in his arm, he slid sideways on his rain-drenched broom, one knee still crooked over it, his right arm dangling useless at his side.**

**The Bludger came pelting back for a second attack, this time aiming at his face.**

Those who hadn't been there were shooting Harry worried glances.

**Harry swerved out of the way, one idea firmly lodged into his numb brain: get to Malfoy.**

Remus shook his head. "You should've headed for the ground, you could've fallen off."

Harry grimaced. "Actually I was a whole lot safer in the air than on the ground."

**Through a haze of rain and pain he dived for the shimmering, sneering face below him and saw its eyes widen with fear: Malfoy thought Harry was attacking him.**

"I thought you had gone mad," Draco said before muttering. "Or more mad than you are already."

**"What the -" he gasped, careering out of Harry's way.**

**Harry took his remaining hand off his broom and made a wild snatch; he felt his fingers close on the cold Snitch but was now only gripping the broom with his legs and there was a yell from the crowd below as he headed straight for the ground, trying hard not to pass out.**

"You need to get to the ground," Molly said whimpering.

**With a splattering thud he hit the mud and rolled off his broom. His arm was hanging at a very strange angle.**

Madam Pomfrey tutted. _'Such a dangerous game.'_

**Riddled with pain, he heard, as though from a distance, a good deal of whistling and shouting. He focused on the Snitch clutched in his good hand.**

**"Aha," he said vaguely, "we've won."**

Several people snorted.

Hermione and Ron shook their heads fondly.

**And he fainted.**

Molly whimpered again.

**He came round, rain falling on his face, still lying on the pitch, with someone leaning over him. He saw a glitter of teeth.**

"No!" Those who realized it was Lockhart yelled.

"Not that idiot!" Charlie exclaimed.

**"Oh no, not you," he moaned.**

"Even when Harry's out of it he still doesn't want Lockhart to help him," Dean said amused.

"After what he did, can you say that you'd want him to help you?" Harry asked incredulously.

Dean flinched. "Definitely not."

**"Doesn't know what he's saying," said Lockhart loudly, to the anxious crowd of Gryffindor pressing around them.**

"Actually I did," Harry said dryly.

**"Not to worry, Harry, I'm about to fix your arm."**

"Something tells me that isn't going to happen," Remus said pinching the bridge of his nose.

**"No!" said Harry. "I'll keep it like this, thanks ..." He tried to sit up, but the pain was terrible. He heard a familiar clicking noise nearby.**

**"I don't want a photo of this, Colin," he said loudly.**

Colin turned red as several people sent him amused looks.

"Sorry about that Harry," Colin said.

"It's okay," Harry said tiredly.

**"Lie back, Harry," said Lockhart soothingly. "It's a simple charm I've used countless times."**

"In your dreams maybe," Ron growled.

"Who wants to bet it wasn't even a real spell?" Bill asked, not liking the idea of Lockhart pointing his wand at Harry.

"Oh it was a real spell, just not the right one," Harry grumbled.

**"Why can't I just go to the hospital wing?" said Harry through clenched teeth.**

"I never thought I'd hear those words coming from your mouth," Hermione said.

**"He should really, Professor," said a muddy Wood,**

"Yes, he should've," Pomfrey sniffed angrily.

**who couldn't help grinning even though his Seeker was injured.**

"Of course you couldn't," Katie said shooting a sheepish looking Oliver a dour look.

**"Great capture, Harry, really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say."**

"I don't know, I'm quite fond of the one he caught in his mouth," Ron said cheekily.

"Very funny," Harry said shooting him a mock glare.

**Through the thicket of legs around him, Harry spotted Fred and George Weasley, wrestling the rogue Bludger into a box. It was still putting up a terrific fight.**

"That bludger was a pain to get into the box," Fred said.

"Is that why you two weren't trying to keep Lockhart away?" Charlie asked, knowing that his brothers wouldn't of wanted the man to try and fix Harry's arm.

"Yeah, we didn't see him until it was too late," George said uncharacteristically sour.

**"Stand back," said Lockhart, who was rolling up his jade-green sleeves.**

**"No - don't -" said Harry weakly, but Lockhart was twirling his wand and a second later had directed it straight at Harry's arm.**

**A strange and unpleasant sensation started at Harry's shoulder and spread all the way down to his fingertips. It felt as though his arm was being deflated.**

"He didn't," Remus growled.

"What'd he do?" Asked a confused first year Hufflepuff.

**He didn't dare look at what was happening. He had shut his eyes, his face turned away from his arm, but his worst fears were realized as the people above him gasped**

"It wasn't a pretty sight," Hermione said, remembering that his arm looked like a wet noodle.

**and Colin Creevey began clicking madly.**

Harry shot Colin and exasperated look.

**His arm didn't hurt anymore - but nor did it feel remotely like an arm.**

Snuffled growled. _'That idiot vanished his bones, oh when I get my hands on him...'_

**"Ah," said Lockhart. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen.**

Pomfrey looked angry. "Only if the person casting the spell has no idea what he's doing."

**But the point is, the bones are no longer broken.**

"That's because I had no bones left," Harry growled under his breath.

**That's the thing to bear in mind. So, Harry, just toddle up to the Hospital Wing - ah, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, would you escort him? - and Madam Pomfrey will be able to - er - tidy you up a bit."**

"I bet she wasn't too happy about that," Charlie said knowingly.

"No, I was not," Pomfrey said stiffly.

**As Harry got to his feet, he felt strangely lopsided. Taking a deep breath he looked down at his right side. What he saw nearly made him pass out again. Poking out of the end of his robes was what looked like thick, flesh-colored rubber glove.**

**He tried to move his fingers. Nothing happened. Lockhart hadn't mended Harry's bones. He had removed them.**

Those who hadn't known gasped.

"He removed your bones?" A first year squealed.

"That's horrible!" A second year Ravenclaw exclaimed looking part disturbed, part horrified.

**Madam Pomfrey wasn't at all pleased.**

"Of course I wasn't," Pomfrey huffed. "I could've mended his broken arm in a second, but growing them back takes awhile and it's extremely painful."

Harry rubbed his arm. "Very painful."

**"You should have come straight to me!" she raged, holding up the sad, limp remainder of what, half an hour before, had been a working arm.**

**"I can mend bones in a second - but growing them back -"**

**"You will be able to, won't you?" said Harry desperately.**

Harry shrugged when he noticed that people were sending his amused looks. "I grew up with muggles remember, and she sounded worried, I didn't know if she'd be able to re-grow them or not."

**"I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful," said Madam Pomfrey grimly, throwing Harry a pair of pajamas. "You'll have to stay the night ..."**

**Hermione waited outside the curtain drawn around Harry's bed while Ron helped him into his pajamas. It took a while to stuff the rubbery, boneless arm into a sleeve.**

"It was gross," Ron wrinkled his nose.

"Then why'd you do it? You could've let Madam Pomfrey help him," Euan said.

"He's my best mate," Ron said as though that explained everything.

**"How can you stick up for Lockhart now, Hermione, eh?" Ron called through the curtain as he pulled Harry's limp fingers through the cuff. "If Harry wanted de-boning he would have asked."**

Fred and George snickered, they're finally back to their usual selves.

**"Anyone can make a mistake," said Hermione, "And it doesn't hurt anymore, does it, Harry."**

"You still liked him after that?" Sally-Anne asked in exasperation.

Hermione turned red and muttered something unintelligible under her breath.

**"No," said Harry, "but it doesn't do anything else, either." As he swung himself onto the bed, his arm flapped pointlessly.**

Lavender wrinkled her nose.

**Hermione and Madam Pomfrey came around the curtain. Madam Pomfrey was holding a large bottle of something labeled 'Skele-Gro'. "You're in for a rough night," she said, pouring out a steaming beaker full and handing it to him. "Re-growing bones is a nasty business."**

"I hate that stuff," Urquhart muttered.

**So was taking the Skele-Gro. It burned Harry's mouth and throat as it went down, making him cough and splutter. Still tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers,**

"It's not the sports fault," Oliver said indignantly. "He would've only had a broken arm if it wasn't for Lockhart."

He was sent many exasperated looks.

"Only a broken arm he says," Bill said shaking his head.

**Madam Pomfrey retreated, leaving Ron and Hermione to help Harry gulp down some water. "We won, though," said Ron, a grin breaking across his face. "That was some catch you made. Malfoy's face ... he looked ready to kill!"**

Draco scowled while the Gryffindors grinned.

**"I want to know how he fixed that Bludger," said Hermione darkly.**

"No second year could've done it," Moody grunted.

"Yeah, especially not someone as daft as Malfoy," Ron said snickering.

"I'm smarter than you Weasley," Draco sneered.

"I think you have Malfoy confused with Crabbe and Goyle," Neville said.

Once again everyone was surprised that Neville said something like that.

"You're one to talk Longbottom," Malfoy sneered. "You can't even stand a cauldron up properly." Neville turned red.

"Leave him alone Malfoy," Harry growled.

"That's enough!" McGonagall yelled. "All of you be quiet."

Ron and Draco scowled at each other, while Neville sent Harry a grateful smile.

**"We can add that to the list of questions we'll ask him when we've taken the Polyjuice Potion," said Harry, sinking back onto his pillows. "I hope it tastes better than this stuff ..."**

"It didn't," Harry said so only his two best friends could hear.

**"If it's got bits of Slytherins in it? You've got to be joking," said Ron. The door of the hospital wing burst open at that moment. Filthy and soaking wet, the rest of the Gryffindor team had arrived to see Harry. "Unbelievable flying, Harry," said George. "I've just seen Marcus Flint yelling at about having the Snitch on top of his head and not noticing. Malfoy didn't seem too happy."**

Once more Draco found himself on the receiving end of glares sent from his quidditch teammates.

**They had brought cakes, sweets, and bottles of pumpkin juice; they gathered around Harry's bed and were just getting started on what promised to be a good party when Madam Pomfrey came storming over, shouting, "This boy needs rest, he's got thirty-three bones to re-grow! Out! OUT!"**

**And Harry was left alone, with nothing to distract him from the stabbing pains in his limp arm.**

"Madam Pomfrey," Harry said. "You really should let us at least have one visitor. It helps us not to have to focus on the pain too much."

Pomfrey frowned. "I'll think about it Mr. Potter."

**Hours and hours later, Harry woke quite suddenly in the pitch blackness and gave a small yelp of pain; his arm now felt full of large splinters.**

Some of the students winced.

"I never want to have to take that stuff," Kevin Entwhistle said.

**For a second, he thought it was that which had woken him. Then, with a thrill of horror, he realized that someone was sponging his forehead in the dark.**

Pomfrey's frowned deepened. "Who was in there? I didn't see anyone?"

**"Get off!" he said loudly, and then, "Dobby!"**

"The house elf?" Many people asked.

"What's he doing there?" Ernie asked.

Remus narrowed his eyes. _'Dobby...he closed the barrier...and he must be the one who sent the bludger after him. But why? He said he wants to save Harry, but he could've been seriously injured because of that bludger.'_

"Why were you there?" Dean asked Dobby who had been sitting quietly since he read earlier.

Dobby looked around nervously, he began twisting his ears. Harry immediately pulled Dobby's hands away.

"No punishing yourself Dobby," Harry said sternly.

"But Harry Potter sir-" Dobby began but he was cut off.

"No Dobby," Harry said even more sternly. "I don't want you to hurt yourself."

Everyone seemed even more confused after that exchange, except for the adults who figured out who was behind the bludger.

**The house-elf's goggling tennis-ball eyes were peering at Harry through the darkness. A single tear was running down his long, pointed nose. "Harry Potter came back to school," he whispered miserably. "Dobby warned and warned Harry sir, why didn't you heed Dobby? Why didn't Harry Potter go back home when he missed the train?"**

"Why would he ask about that?" Tonks asked.

**Harry heaved himself up on his pillows and pushed Dobby's sponge away. "What're you doing here?" he said. "And how did you know I missed the train?"**

**Dobby's lip trembled and Harry was seized by a sudden suspicion. "It was you!" he said slowly. "You stopped the barrier letting us through!"**

"What?" The students yelled.

Draco narrowed his eyes at the elf.

"Why would you do that?" Michael asked.

"You stopped them from going through?" Charlie demanded.

Dobby whimpered.

"It's alright Dobby," Harry told him gently before looking up and glaring at everyone. "Nobody yell at Dobby, he was only trying to help."

Hermione sent Harry a smile of approval.

Umbridge sneered. _'Now the brats standing up for filthy little house elves.'_

**"Indeed yes, sir," said Dobby, nodding his head vigorously, ears flapping. "Dobby hid and watched for Harry Potter and sealed the gateway and Dobby had to iron his hands afterwards -" he showed Harry ten, long, bandaged fingers,**

The muggleborns looked horrified.

Hermione glared at Draco before turning to glare at the book.

**"- but Dobby didn't care, sir, for he thought Harry Potter was safe, and never did Dobby dream that Harry Potter would get to school another way!" He was rocking backwards and forwards, shaking his ugly head.**

**"Dobby was so shocked when he heard Harry Potter was back at Hogwarts, he let his master's dinner burn! Such a flogging Dobby never had, sir ..."**

Hermione gritted her teeth. _'How can anyone treat house elves like that? They have feelings just like the rest of us!'_

**Harry slumped back onto his pillows. "You nearly got Ron and I expelled," he said fiercely. "You'd better clear off before my bones come back, Dobby, or I might strangle you."**

Hermione turned her glare onto Harry.

"I wouldn't of really hurt him Hermione," Harry sighed.

**Dobby smiled weakly. "Dobby is used to death threats, sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at home."**

Hermione huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Harry could tell she wants to go on a rant about SPEW.

**He blew his nose on a corner of the filthy pillowcase he wore, looking so pathetic that Harry felt his anger ebb away in spite of himself.**

"You're too forgiving," Charlie said.

"I could tell he didn't want to hurt me," Harry told him.

**"Why d'you wear that thing, Dobby?" he asked curiously.**

**"This, sir?" said Dobby, plucking at the pillowcase. "'Tis a mark of the house-elf's enslavement, sir. Dobby can only be freed if his masters present him with clothes, sir. The family is careful not to pass Dobby even a sock,**

Harry, Ron and Hermione had to suppress their laughter,

"Is that what gave you the idea," Ron asked quietly, his eyes were twinkling with amusement.

Harry nodded and smirked.

**sir, for then he would be free to leave their house forever." Dobby mopped his bulging eyes and said suddenly, "Harry Potter must go home! Dobby thought his Bludger would be enough to make -"**

"Your bludger!" Molly shrieked. "He could've died!"

Dobby flinched and his eyes filled with tears. "Dobby never wanted Harry Potter to die, never, never would I want that."

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, trying to keep his temper in check. "Like I said just a moment ago, he was only trying to help me. If it wasn't for Lockhart I wouldn't of even had to stay over night in the hospital wing."

Molly looked like she was going to say something but looks from Harry, Hermione and her kids stopped her from doing so.

**"Your Bludger?" said Harry, anger rising once more. "What d'you mean, your Bludger? You made that Bludger try and kill me?"**

**"Not kill you, sir, never kill you!" said Dobby, shocked."Dobby wants to save Harry Potter's life!**

"That really wasn't the best way to try and save his life," Fred told the elf.

**Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here, sir! Dobby only wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to be sent home!"**

"He wouldn't of been sent home," Remus said. "If Harry got hurt he would be taken to Madam Pomfrey, if he was so hurt that she couldn't heal him then he'd get sent to St Mungos. But after he was healed he would've been sent back to Hogwarts."

Dobby looked down sadly.

**"Oh, is that all?" said Harry angrily. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you wanted me sent home in pieces?"**

**"Ah, if Harry Potter only knew!" Dobby groaned, more tears dripping onto his ragged pillowcase. "If he knew what he means to us, to the lowly, the enslaved, us dregs of the magical world! Dobby remembers how it was when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was at the height of his powers, sir! We house-elves were treated like vermin, sir! Of course, Dobby is still treated like that, sir," he admitted, drying his face on the pillowcase."But mostly, sir, life has improved for my kind since you triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Harry Potter survived, and the Dark Lord's power was broken, and it was a new dawn, sir, and Harry Potter shone like a beacon of hope for those of us who thought the dark days would never end, sir ...**

"People give me way too much credit," Harry said sadly.

"You are a great wizard Harry," Hermione told him quietly.

"I'm not as great as everyone seems to think I am," Harry told her.

Snape stared at Harry intently, he could see that Harry really meant what he said. _'Okay so maybe he isn't quite as arrogant as his father...but he's still a little trouble maker.'_ Snape was trying to hold onto every little bad thing Harry ever did, because if Harry really was just a kind and caring person, than Snape treated him, Lily's son, horrible for no reason.

**And now, at Hogwarts, terrible things are to happen, are perhaps happening already, and Dobby cannot let Harry Potter stay here now that history is to repeat itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more -"**

Alicia stopped reading as the hall went deathly quiet and still.

"The chamber was opened before?" Romilda asked faintly.

"Yes," Dumbledore said, his voice full of regret.

Everyone exchanged startled looks, none of the students, with the exception of the trio knew that it had been opened before.

**Dobby froze, horror-struck, then grabbed Harry's water jug from his bedside table and cracked it over his own head, toppling out of sight, muttering, "Bad Dobby, very bad Dobby ..."**

**"So there is a Chamber of secrets?" Harry whispered. "And - did you say it's been opened before? Tell me, Dobby!" He seized the elf's bony wrist as Dobby's hand inched towards the water jug. "But I'm not Muggle-born - how can I be in danger from the Chamber?"**

"You're Harry Potter, you're always in danger," Ron said seriously.

"Thanks Ron," Harry said dryly.

**"Ah, sir, ask no more, ask no more of poor Dobby," stammered the elf, his eyes huge in the dark. "Dark deeds are planned in this place, but Harry Potter must not be here when they happen. Go home, Harry Potter. Go home. Harry Potter must not meddle in this, sir, 'tis too dangerous -"**

**"Who is it, Dobby?" Harry said, keeping a firm hold on Dobby's wrist to stop him hitting himself with the water jug again. "Who's opened it? Who opened it last time?"**

**"Dobby can't, sir, Dobby can't, Dobby mustn't tell!" squealed the elf. "Go home, Harry Potter, go home!"**

**"I'm not going anywhere!" said Harry fiercely. "One of my best friends is Muggle-born, she'll be first in line if the Chamber really has been opened -"**

Hermione sent a warm smile to her best friend. "Oh Harry!" She exclaimed as she gave him a big hug.

Harry smiled into her bushy hair. "You know I would never let you get hurt if I could stop it."

"I wouldn't either," Ron said patting Hermione on the back.

"Thanks guys," Hermione told them sincerely.

"It's really good that you three are so close," Leanne said. "But you shouldn't put yourself in danger again."

"I'd die before I'd let anything happen to someone I love, if I can do something to save them I will," Harry said fiercely.

"You're so much like your parents," Remus said fondly. "He would've done anything for any of them."

"I'm glad you stayed Harry, but don't talk about yourself dying," Hermione said sniffing. "I don't like that."

"Me either mate," Ron said seriously. "You've come way to close to dying one too many times."

"Excuse me?" Molly asked faintly. "He almost...dies," she stumbled out the word. "Again?"

The trio exchanged looks.

"You'll see," Harry told her.

McGonagall's lips thinned. _'He never said anything about almost dying in his second year, he didn't mention anything of the sort after he rescued Miss Weasley.'_ She stared intently at the trio and sighed.

**"Harry Potter risks his own life for his friends!" moaned Dobby, in a kind of miserable ecstasy.**

Fred, George and Lee snickered.

**"So noble! So valiant! But he must save himself, he must, Harry Potter must not -"**

**Dobby suddenly froze, his bat ears quivering. Harry heard it, too. There were footsteps coming down the passageway outside.**

**"Dobby must go!" breathed the elf, terrified; there was a loud crack, and Harry's fist was suddenly clenched on thin air. He slipped back into bed, his eyes on the dark doorway to the hospital wing as the footsteps drew nearer. Next moment, Dumbledore was backing into the dormitory, wearing a long wooly dressing gown and a nightcap. He was carrying one end of what looked like a statue.**

McGonagall rubbed her temples. "I should've known you were awake."

**Professor McGonagall appeared a second later, carrying its feet. Together, they heaved it onto a bed.**

Colin paled, the day of the first quidditch match was when he had been petrified.

"What is that?" Tonks asked, fearing what it might be.

"Not what," Harry said glumly. "Who."

The students who weren't at Hogwarts during Harry's second year gasped.

"They aren't dead?" A first year asked fearfully.

"No, he was only petrified," Harry said sullenly.

**"Get Madam Pomfrey," whispered Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall hurried past the end of Harry's bed out of sight.**

**Harry lay quite still, pretending to be asleep. He heard urgent voices, and then Professor McGonagall swept back into view, closely followed by Madam Pomfrey, who was pulling a cardigan on over her nightdress. He heard a sharp intake of breath.**

"It was horrible," Pomfrey said downcast.

**"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey whispered to Dumbledore, bending over the statue on the bed.**

**"Another attack," said Dumbledore."Minerva found him on the stairs."**

**"There was a bunch of grapes next to him," said Professor McGonagall. "We think he was trying to sneak up here to visit Potter."**

Harry looked at him sadly, sure the kid was overexcited and quite annoying most of the time, but he hadn't deserved to be petrified.

**Harry's stomach gave a horrible lurch. Slowly and carefully, he raised himself a few inches so he could look at the statue on the bed. A ray of moonlight lay across its staring face. It was Colin Creevey.**

The younger Gryffindors who hadn't known that Colin had been petrified gasped.

Dennis grabbed his older brother's hand.

**His eyes were wide and his hands were stuck up in front of him, holding his camera. "Petrified?" whispered Madam Pomfrey.**

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "But I shudder to think ... If Albus hadn't been on the way downstairs for hot chocolate, who knows what might have ..."**

**The three of them stared down at Colin. Then Dumbledore leaned forward and pried the camera out of Colin's rigid grip. "You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?" said Professor McGonagall eagerly.**

"If only it had been that simple," Hermione whispered dejectedly.

**Dumbledore didn't answer. He pried open the back of the camera. "Good gracious!" said Madam Pomfrey.**

**A jet of steam had hissed out of the camera. Harry, three beds away, caught the acrid smell of burnt plastic.**

"What in Merlin's name can do that?" Angelina asked.

"You don't want to know," Harry muttered.

**"Melted,"said Madam Pomfrey wonderingly, "all melted ..."**

**"What does this mean, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked urgently.**

**"It means," said Dumbledore, "that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."**

"You knew it had been opened before?" Amelia asked sharply.

Dumbledore heaved a heavy sigh. "Yes, it was opened over fifty years ago, when I was the transfiguration professor here."

"Do you know who opened it back then?" Amelia questioned.

Dumbledore frowned. "Yes, I'm sure you, along with everyone will find out by the end of the book."

Amelia didn't look pleased with that answer, but she didn't press for more information.

**Madam Pomfrey clapped a hand to her mouth.**

**Professor McGonagall stared at Dumbledore."But Albus ... surely ... who?"**

**"The question is not who," said Dumbledore,**

"It's not?" Wayne said raising an eyebrow.

**his eyes on Colin. "The question is, how ..."**

**And from what Harry could see of Professor McGonagall's shadowy face, she didn't understand this any better than he did.**

Alicia closed the book. "That's the end of the chapter."

Everyone in the hall was quiet.

After a minute when nobody had said anything Angelina took the book from Alicia. "I guess I'll read next."


	11. Duelling Club

Angelina began to read. **"The Dueling Club."**

Several of the students started snickering, remembering what had happened that day to Lockhart.

Harry paled, this was when everyone found out that he was a parseltongue, this was when the whole school began to really believe that he was the heir of Slytherin.

**Harry woke up on Sunday morning to find the dormitory blazing with winter sunlight and his arm re-boned but very stiff.**

Harry rubbed his arm.

**He sat up quickly and looked over at Colin's bed, but it had been blocked from view by the high curtains Harry had changed behind yesterday. Seeing that he was awake, Madam Pomfrey came bustling over with a breakfast tray and then began bending and stretching his arm and fingers.**

**"All in order," she said, as he clumsily fed himself porridge left-handed. "When you've finished eating, you may leave."**

"You probably swallowed your food without even chewing," Ron said laughing.

"What?" Dean asked looking confused.

"Harry hates the hospital wing," Ron told him. "He'll never go there on his own."

Madam Pomfrey looked disapprovingly at Harry. "Maybe if Mr Potter didn't spend so much time doing dangerous things he wouldn't have to be sent to the hospital wing."

Harry scowled as several of his classmates sniggered, 

**Harry dressed as quickly as he could and hurried off to Gryffindor Tower, desperate to tell Ron and Hermione about Colin and Dobby, but they weren't there.**

**Harry left to look for them, wondering where they could have got to and feeling slightly hurt that they weren't interested in whether he had his bones back or not**.

"Of course we were interested," Hermione said looking scandalized. "We were worried sick about you!"

"Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let us in," Ron added.

"So we decided that instead of wasting time just sitting in the common room, that we could do something useful," Hermione said.

"And what exactly do you two consider useful?" Professor Vector asked tentatively.

"You'll see," Hermione said in a small voice.

 **As Harry passed the library, Percy Weasley** **strolled out of it, looking in far better spirits than last time they'd met.**

"Probably snogging his girlfriend," Fred said in a prissy voice.

"Percy the prat would never do something as undignified as snogging in a library!" George yelled in mock anger.

"You're right he was probably just reading that boring book on prefects who gained power," Fred said solemnly.

Percy turned red and glared at his twin brothers.

The adults all sent disapproving looks at them, but none of them said anything. They all realized that if they lectured the students for every inappropriate thing one of them said during this reading, that they'd be in here forever.

**"Oh, hello, Harry," he said. "Excellent flying yesterday, really excellent. Gryffindor has just taken the lead for the House Cup - you earned fifty points!"**

**"You haven't seen Ron or Hermione, have you?" said Harry.**

**"No, I haven't," said Percy, his smile fading. "I hope Ron's not in another girls' toilet ..."**

"Why would he automatically think you were back there?" Susan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because he's a git," Ron scowled.

**Harry forced a laugh, watched Percy out of sight and then headed straight for Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.**

"Of course you did," Remus said exasperated.

**He couldn't see why Ron and Hermione would be in there again, but after making sure that neither Filch nor any Prefects were around, he opened the door and heard their voices coming from a locked cubicle.**

Umbridge glared at the trio and scribbled something on her clipboard.

The rest of the adults sent them disapproving looks, which they tried very hard to ignore.

**"It's me," he said, closing the door behind him. There was a clunk, a splash and a gasp from within the cubicle and he saw Hermione's eyes peering through the keyhole.**

The twins snickered.

"I wasn't expecting to see you out of the hospital wing so soon," Hermione said, her cheeks tinged pink.

"I said it's me so that I wouldn't frighten you," Harry said amused.

"I heard a voice and it scared me," Hermione told him. "I was so scared that we were going to be caught breaking the rules."

**"Harry!" she said. "You gave us such a fright. Come in - how's your arm?"**

"I wouldn't of let Mr Potter go if his arm wasn't completely healed," Pomfrey said with a stern look.

**"Fine," said Harry, squeezing into the cubicle. An old cauldron was perched on the toilet, and a crackling from under the rim told Harry they had lit a fire beneath it. Conjuring up portable, waterproof fires was a speciality of Hermione's.**

"Unless she's panicking," George snickered.

Hermione's cheeks turned from pink to red. "It was one time, and I was eleven! You try keeping calm while you and your best friends are being strangled."

**"We'd have come to meet you, but we decided to get started on the Polyjuice Potion,"**

More disapproving looks were sent to the trio from the adults.

Some of the students looked in awe that three-second years were going to try and make the potion. Some of the Slytherins had smug looks on their faces, thinking that there's no possible way they made the potion.

**Ron explained, as Harry, with difficulty, locked the cubicle again. "We've decided this is the safest place to hide it."**

"I'm not so sure," Moody grunted, his magical eye focused on the trio. "Two boys walking into a girls bathroom is suspicious."

"We always made sure that nobody was around when we went him," Ron told the grizzled Auror.

**Harry started to tell them about Colin, but Hermione interrupted, "We already know, we heard Professor McGonagall telling Professor Flitwick this morning. That's why we decided we'd better get going -"**

"And how exactly did you two hear that?" McGonagall asked, her lips thinning. "We were in the staff room."

"They must have been eavesdropping," Snape sneered. "Typical."

"Probably, I mean they do know everything that goes on in the castle," Parvarti said.

"We don't eavesdrop," Harry said, everyone looked at him in disbelief. "What? We don't eavesdrop, we just happen to overhear things that aren't made to be overheard."

Most of the hall laughed at that while most of the teachers looked on with a mixture of disapproval and amusement.

Snape scowled. _'That's something that James Potter would've said.'_

 **"The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better," snarled Ron.** **"D'you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin."**

"That does make sense," Mandy said.

Draco scowled.

**"There's something else," said Harry, watching Hermione tearing bundles of knotgrass and throwing them into the potion. "Dobby came to visit me in the middle of the night."**

**Ron and Hermione looked up, amazed. Harry told them everything Dobby had told him - or hadn't told him. Ron and Hermione listened with their mouths open.**

"Did he actually tell you everything?" Neville asked.

"Yes." Hermione and Ron both said.

**"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" said Hermione.**

**"That settles it," said Ron in a triumphant voice. "Lucius Malfoy must've opened the Chamber** **when he was at school here and now he's told dear old Draco how to do it.**

Umbridge and Fudge both glared at Ron.

 _'Lucius would never do such a thing!'_ Fudge thought. _'He's a good man.'_

 _'Trying to ruin an honest man's reputation.'_ Umbridge thought. _'With any luck, the Weasley brat will be expelled as well...those demon twins too.'_

 **It's obvious. Wish Dobby'd told you what kind of monster's in there, though.** **I want to know how come nobody's noticed it sneaking around the school."**

"It must be small," Megan Jones said.

The golden trio exchanged looks.

 _'Not exactly.'_ Harry thought. _'I wonder what everyone is going to think when they read about how huge the monster is.'_

**"Maybe it can make itself invisible," said Hermione,**

"No," Remus shook his head. "No monster that can petrify can turn itself invisible."

**prodding leeches to the bottom of the cauldron. "Or maybe it can disguise itself - pretend to be a suit of armour or something. I've read about Chameleon Ghouls ..."**

"Ghouls don't petrify," Bill told Hermione.

Hermione blushed. "I know."

**"You read too much, Hermione," said Ron, pouring dead lacewings on top of the leeches.**

"It's a good thing that Hermione does read too much," Harry whispered to Ron.

**He crumpled up the empty lacewing bag and looked round at Harry.**

**"So Dobby stopped us getting on the train and broke your arm ..." He shook his head. "You know what, Harry? If he doesn't stop trying to save your life he's going to kill you."**

Dobby looked as if he was going to cry, Harry shot him a smile.

**The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and was now lying as though dead in the hospital wing had spread around the entire school by Monday morning.**

"Nothing stays a secret at Hogwarts," Tonks said loudly.

"They seem to do a lot without anyone finding out," Sue Li said pointing to the trio.

**The air was suddenly thick with rumour and suspicion. The first-years were now moving around the castle in tight-knit groups, as though scared they would be attacked if they ventured forth alone.**

"That wouldn't done much good," Harry muttered.

 **Ginny Weasley,** **who sat next to Colin in Charms, was distraught,**

Ginny blanched slightly but no one noticed.

**but Harry felt that Fred and George were going the wrong way about cheering her up. They were taking it in turns to cover themselves with fur or boils and jump out at her from behind statues.**

"Fred! George!" Molly screeched. "How could you do that to your sister?"

Fred and George looked guilty.

"We didn't know," Fred said solemnly.

"We were only trying to cheer her up," George said honestly.

"They didn't know what?" Justin whispered to Ernie.

"I don't know," Ernie whispered back. "But I'm sure we'll find out."

**They only stopped when Percy, apoplectic with rage, told them he was going to write to Mrs Weasley and tell her that Ginny was having nightmares.**

_'I was having nightmares.'_ Ginny thought, trying to block out the memories of that year. _'But not from my brothers.'_

 **Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets and other protective devices were sweeping the school...**.

Once again the teachers looked disapproving.

"Of course," Sprout sighed. "There will always be those who will take advantage of that kind of situation."

 **Neville Longbottom bought** **a large, evil-smelling green onion, a pointed purple crystal and a rotting newt-tail**

"Why on earth would you need something like that?" Charlie asked looking bewildered.

Neville turned red and shrugged. "I thought it'd help," he muttered.

**before the other Gryffindor boys pointed out that he was in no danger: He was a pure-blood, and therefore unlikely to be attacked.**

**"They went for Filch first," Neville said, his round face fearful, "and everyone knows I'm almost a Squib."**

"You aren't almost a squib Neville," Hermione told him kindly. "You just lack confidence is all."

"Yeah," Harry told him quietly. "You do great in the DA."

Neville smiled and turned even redder.

**In the second week of December, Professor McGonagall came around, as usual, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas. Harry, Ron and Hermione signed her list;**

"I'm not surprised that Harry stayed, I wouldn't want to go home if I had his relatives," Sally-Anne said. "But I'm surprised that Hermione and Ron stayed as well."

**they had heard that Malfoy was staying, which struck them as very suspicious.**

"I never did understand that," Harry muttered.

"He probably assumed that he was safe," Hermione whispered so only her best friends could hear.

**The holidays would be the perfect time to use the Polyjuice Potion and try to worm a confession out of him.**

"Smart," Moody said approvingly.

"You shouldn't be encouraging them Alastor," McGonagall said stiffly.

"They wanted to help, and from what we've read so far, they seem to be the only ones who do anything around her to help," Moody grunted.

The staff didn't look happy at that statement.

**Unfortunately, the potion was only half-finished. They still needed the Bicorn horn and the Boomslang skin, and the only place they were going to get them was from Snape's private stores.**

"I'm very interested in knowing how you accomplished that," Snape said deceptively calm.

"As am I." The rest of the adults said.

Hermione paled and began wringing her hands.

**Harry privately felt he'd rather face Slytherin's legendary monster than have Snape catch him robbing his office.**

Snape inwardly smirked.

"After having faced Slytherins monster, I can honestly say that I still stand by what I said," Harry muttered to Ron.

**"What we need," said Hermione briskly, as Thursday afternoon's double Potions lesson loomed nearer, "is a diversion. Then one of us can sneak into Snape's office and take what we need."**

Snape was inwardly seething.

"She makes it sound so easy," Padma said.

**Harry and Ron looked at each other nervously.**

**"I think I'd better do the actual stealing," Hermione continued, in a matter-of-fact tone.**

Everyone looked at Hermione in complete disbelief.

"Miss Granger!" McGonagall exclaimed.

"Hermione!" Molly yelled part in disbelief and part in anger.

"You actually volunteered to steal?" Anthony asked gobsmacked.

"We needed to make the potion, and in order to do that we needed the ingredients," Hermione said not looking at the adults.

**"You two will be expelled if you get in any more trouble, and I've got a clean record.**

"That's true," Lisa said.

**So all you need to do is cause enough mayhem to keep Snape busy for five minutes or so."**

"Causing mayhem in Snape's class?" Neville asked, looking at the trio as though they had all lost their minds.

"I would never purposely cause trouble in his class," Wayne Hopkins said.

"And I thought Potter was mental," Zacharias sneered.

**Harry smiled feebly. Deliberately causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class was about as safe as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.**

"That's almost the school motto," Luna said dreamily.

Everyone turned to stare at her.

"What?" Several people asked.

"The Hogwarts motto is, Never tickle a sleeping dragon," Luna said smiling.

Most of the hall was looking at her as though she was crazy.

"How is that the same thing?" Marietta whispered to Cho who shrugged.

"Who knows how her mind works," Cho told her best friend quietly.

"You are correct Miss Lovegood," Dumbledore said, his beard quivering.

 **Potions lessons took place in one of the large dungeons.** **Thursday afternoon's lesson proceeded in the usual way. Twenty cauldrons stood steaming between the wooden desks, on which stood brass scales and jars of ingredients. Snape prowled through the fumes, making waspish remarks about the Gryffindors' work**

McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout gave Snape disapproving looks causing him to scowl.

**while the Slytherins sniggered appreciatively.**

"It's no wonder why most of the Slytherins behave like that when Severus behaves the way he does," Pomfrey said quietly to McGonagall.

 **Draco Malfoy, who was Snape's favourite student,** **kept flicking puffer-fish eyes at Ron and Harry,** **who knew that if they retaliated they would get detention faster than you could say 'unfair'.**

"Now really Severus," McGonagall said, her lips thinning. "He should've gotten into trouble. If those puffer-fish eyes would've gotten into one of their cauldrons, who knows what could've happened."

Dumbledore sent Snape a disappointed look.

 **Harry's Swelling Solution was far too runny, but he had his mind on more important things.** **He was waiting for Hermione's signal, and he hardly listened as Snape paused to sneer at his watery potion.** **When Snape turned and walked off to bully Neville,**

More disapproving looks were sent to the potions professor.

**Hermione caught Harry's eye and nodded.**

**Harry ducked swiftly down behind his cauldron, pulled one of Fred's Filibuster fireworks out of his pocket**

"I didn't know what he was going to use it for!" Fred exclaimed quickly when his mother turned to glare at him.

"Like you wouldn't have given it to him anyway," Ron muttered.

**and gave it a quick prod with his wand.**

**The firework began to fizz and sputter. Knowing he had only seconds, Harry straightened up, took aim, and lobbed it into the air; it landed right on target in Goyle's cauldron.**

"Mr Potter!" McGonagall yelled. "You could've seriously hurt someone!"

Harry flushed. "At the time I wasn't really thinking."

"That is obvious," McGonagall huffed.

"You are very lucky that I can't punish you," Snape said in a dangerous voice.

Umbridge smiled a twisted smile and scribbled once more on her clipboard.

**Snape glared at Harry so fiercely that Harry thought he would explode.**

**Goyle's potion exploded, showering the whole class.**

Those who had been in that class winced at the reminder.

**People shrieked as splashes of the Swelling Solution hit them. Malfoy got a face full and his nose began to swell like a balloon;**

Many of the students snickered while Draco glared at Harry.

**Goyle blundered around,**

"Nothing new there," George said airily.

**his hands over his eyes, which had expanded to the size of dinner plates, while Snape was trying to restore calm and find out what had happened.**

**Through the confusion, Harry saw Hermione slip quietly out of the door.**

_'How did I not notice that?'_ Snape thought bitterly.

**"Silence! SILENCE!" Snape roared. "Anyone who has been splashed come here for a Deflating Draft. When I find out who did this ..."**

**Harry tried not to laugh as he watched Malfoy hurry forward, his head drooping with the weight of his nose like a small melon.**

"It took all of my self-control not to," Harry said looking as if he was trying not to laugh.

Snape sneered. _'As if that blasted brat has any self-control.'_

**As half the class lumbered up to Snape's desk, some weighed down with arms like clubs, others unable to talk through gigantic puffed-up lips, Harry saw Hermione slide back into the dungeon, the front of her robes bulging.**

"It wasn't that obvious was it?" Hermione asked.

"No," Harry shook his head. "I only noticed it because I was looking for it."

**When everyone had taken a swig of antidote and the various swellings had subsided, Snape swept over to Goyle's cauldron and scooped out the twisted black remains of the firework. There was a sudden hush.**

"I couldn't believe that someone would actually do that in Snape's class," Dean told the hall.

 **"If I ever find out who threw this," Snape whispered,** **"I shall make sure that person is expelled."**

"As you should be," Snape said silkily, glaring at Harry.

"And Malfoy shouldn't?" Tonks asked fiercely. "He's always messing with the Gryffindors in your class, and you don't seem to care about that."

Snape ground his teeth together before looking away.

**Harry arranged his face into what he hoped was a puzzled expression.**

"It didn't workmate," Ron said amused.

"You really are a horrible liar," George sighed.

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" Molly exclaimed.

"It is." Fred and George said.

Molly huffed while those who heard snickered.

 **Snape was looking right at him** **and the bell which rang ten minutes later could not have been more welcome.**

**"He knew it was me," Harry told Ron and Hermione, as they hurried back to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. "I could tell."**

"Of course I knew it was you," Snape sneered. "You looked guilty, but unfortunately I had no proof, until now."

"He cannot be punished for his past actions Severus," Dumbledore said sternly.

Snape looked as though he wanted to strangle the headmaster and Harry.

 **Hermione threw the new ingredients into the cauldron and began to stir feverishly.** **"It'll be ready in a fortnight," she said happily.**

"It's not going to work," Pansy sneered, trying to look superior.

Those who believed Hermione was smart enough to do it, which is the majority of the hall, rolled their eyes.

**"Snape can't prove it was you," said Ron reassuringly to Harry. "What can he do?"**

**"Knowing Snape, something foul," said Harry, as the potion frothed and bubbled**.

"Snape's always foul," Michael muttered.

"Understatement," Stewart snorted.

**A week later, Harry, Ron and Hermione were walking across the Entrance Hall when they saw a small knot of people gathered around the notice-board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas beckoned them over, looking excited.**

"I doubt they would've looked like that if they knew what would happen there," Neville said, remembering the drama that happened there.

"I wouldn't of gone if I would've known," Ron grumbled.

**"They're starting a Dueling Club!" said Seamus. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind duelling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days ..."**

"A duelling club is a good idea," Tonks piped up.

"It is," Moody grunted approvingly. "Students need to be taught to protect themselves."

"I agree," Remus said with a nod of his head.

"You won't feel that way once you hear what happens," Harry said agitatedly.

"Let me guess, Lockhart?" Remus asked resignedly.

Harry nodded.

Remus sighed. "It would've been a good idea if the teacher was competent."

**"What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?" said Ron, but he too read the sign with interest.**

"I highly doubt that Slytherins monster can duel," Tonks said amused.

"Probably not," Moody said, his magical eye swivelled around. "But you can guarantee that whoever is controlling the thing can."

**"Could be useful," he said to Harry and Hermione as they went in to dinner. "Shall we go?"**

"It actually turned out to be useful," Harry whispered.

Ron looked at him as though he'd lost his mind.

"We disarmed Lockhart remember?" Harry said so only Ron could hear.

"Oh yeah," Ron muttered.

**Harry and Hermione were all for it, so at eight o'clock that evening, they hurried back to the Great Hall. The long dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along one wall, lit but thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling was velvety black once more and most of the school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands looking excited.**

"I was excited until I found out that Lockhart was the one who was supposed to be teaching us," Euan said irked.

**"I wonder who'll be teaching us?" said Hermione, as they edged into the chattering crowd.**

**"Someone told me Flitwick was a duelling champion when he was young, maybe it'll be him."**

"Were you really a professor?" Terry asked.

"Yes, Mr Boot I was," Flitwick told him.

The Ravenclaws looked proud that their head of the house was a duelling champion.

"Why didn't you teach the duelling club?" Remus asked frowning. "You would've been a much better choice."

"It was Lockhart's idea," Flitwick said looking put out.

**"As long as it's not -" Harry began, but he ended on a groan: Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage,**

Snuffles growled at the book.

 **resplendent in robes of deep plum** **and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black.**

"This should be good," Moody said with a twisted smile.

Snape smirked, remembering what he had done to the ponce.

 **Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called, "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me?** **Can you all hear me?**

"Unfortunately," Ron muttered.

 **Excellent!** **Now, Professor Dumbledore** **has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club,**

As one, everyone in the hall, professors included, excluding of course Fudge and Umbridge turned to glare at the headmaster.

"I didn't have a reason to say no," Dumbledore said.

"Him being an idiot should've been reason enough." Zacharias sneered, though quietly so only those near him could hear.

 **to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves** **as I myself have done on countless occasions,**

Harry and Ron both snorted.

 **for full details, see my published works.** **Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself**

Snape gritted his teeth. _'That ponce is lucky he lost his memories, if he hadn't I'd hunt him down and hex him into oblivion.'_

"A little bit?" Remus asked raising an eyebrow.

The Slytherins looked annoyed.

Draco sneered. "Professor Snape could beat Lockhart in a duel with both hands tied behind his back."

**and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin.**

"I didn't exactly have a choice," Snape said spitefully.

Many people shot the headmaster curious looks.

Dumbledore sighed. "Someone needed to make sure that the duelling club would run smoothly."

Those who had been there either sent him incredulous looks or snorted.

"You sent Snape to make sure things went smoothly?" Charlie asked in disbelief. "Snape and Lockhart being stuck in the same room with a bunch of kids is like asking for something to happen."

**Now, I don't want any of you, youngsters, to worry - you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"**

"Who did you root for?" Charlie asked conspiratorially, making sure his mother couldn't hear.

"Neither." Harry and Ron said at the same time.

" **Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered in Harry's ear.**

"Ronald!" "Mr Weasley!"

Snape glared daggers at Ron who quickly looked anywhere but at the staff table.

"Wishing death to your professors Mr Weasley?" Umbridge asked with her overly sweet smile, she then tisked and wrote on her clipboard.

Harry sent a glare towards Umbridge while Ron scowled.

**Snape's upper lip was curling.**

**Harry wondered why Lockhart was still smiling; if Snape had been looking at him like that he'd have been running as fast as he could in the opposite direction.**

"Says the boy that deliberately caused mayhem in his classroom," Dean said amused.

Snape scowled at the reminder of what Harry did, his scowl deepened when he remembered that he couldn't do anything about it.

 **Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands,** **whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.**

Those who hadn't been there leaning forward in anticipation.

**"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."**

Several snorts were heard.

"I doubt that," Roger Davies said looking at Snape.

**"I wouldn't bet on that," Harry murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth.**

Snape growled again _Lockhart is lucky I wasn't trying to kill_

**"One - two - three -"**

**Both of them swung their wands up and over their shoulders. Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!"**

**There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: he flew backwards off the stage, smashed into the wall and slid down to sprawl on the floor.**

The students all broke into fits of laughter.

"I wish I could've seen that," Charlie said between fits of laughter.

"That made my day," Fred said wiping tears of mirth from his face.

**Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins cheered.**

The majority of the Slytherins were smirking.

**Hermione was dancing on tiptoes. "Do you think he's all right?" she squealed through her fingers.**

"Who cares." Half of the male population said as one.

**"Who cares?" said Harry and Ron together.**

**Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet.** **His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end.**

"He was probably more worried about his hair than he was himself," Seamus snickered.

**"Well there you have it!" he said, tottering back on to the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm - as you see, I've lost my wand - ah, thank you, Miss Brown. Yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do.**

"You've got to be kidding me," Tonks said incredulously. "Can that guy be any more full of himself."

"Yes." Harry and Ron both said.

**If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy. However, I felt it would be instructive to let them see ..."**

"I'm sure that was his intention," Tracey said sarcastically.

**Snape was looking murderous.**

"I don't blame you," Remus told Snape who just continued to scowl.

 **Possibly Lockhart had noticed, because he said,** **"Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me..."**

**They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Harry and Ron first.**

"Of course he did," Remus sighed. _'Why can't Snape get over his grudge? James died years ago, and now he's taking it out on Harry.'_

**"Time to split up the dream team, I think," he sneered.**

"I'm actually glad he did," Harry mused.

"Why?" Ron asked furrowing his eyebrows.

"Your wand was broken remember?" Harry told him.

**"Weasley, you can partner Finnigan. Potter -"Harry moved automatically towards Hermione.**

"That's not going to happen," Harry said. "I don't know why I thought he'd let me."

**"I don't think so," said Snape, smiling coldly.**

"Does he smile any other way?" Justin muttered.

**"Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of the famous Potter. And you, Miss Granger - you can partner Miss Bulstrode."**

**Malfoy strutted over, smirking.**

Harry rolled his eyes. _'Malfoy really needs to get over himself.'_

**Behind him walked a Slytherin girl who reminded Harry of a picture he'd seen in Holidays with Hags. She was large and square and her heavy jaw jutted aggressively.**

Millicent glared at Harry so fiercely that if looks could kill Harry would be dead.

**Hermione gave her a weak smile which she did not return.**

"At least you tried to be polite," Molly smiled.

**"Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform, "and bow!"**

**Harry and Malfoy barely inclined their heads, not taking their eyes off each other.**

"Good," Moody said approvingly. "Never take your eyes off your enemy."

**"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent - only to disarm them - we don't want any accidents. One ... two ... three ..."**

"Did he really think that the students would listen to that?" Tonks asked amused.

**Harry swung his wand over his shoulder, but Malfoy had already started on 'two':**

"Of course he did," Jack Sloper rolled his eyes.

Draco sneered. "In the real world, no one would wait till three."

"He's right," Harry said remembering the graveyard, when everyone looked at him he sighed. "If you were duelling for real the person you were fighting wouldn't give you a warning and they definitely wouldn't wait until you were ready."

"You're right," Moody nodded.

"That wasn't the real world," Molly frowned. "He should've waited until Lockhart counted to three."

"It taught the boy a good life lesson Molly," Moody said his magic eye staring at Harry.

"He was only twelve," Molly huffed.

"Never too young to learn," Moody said unfazed by the look she was sending him.

 **His spell hit Harry so hard he felt as though he'd been hit over the head with a saucepan. He stumbled, but everything still seemed to be working,** **and wasting no more time, Harry pointed his wand straight at Malfoy and shouted, "Rictusempra!" A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach and he doubled up, wheezing.**

 **"I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd,** **as Malfoy sank to his knees; Harry had hit him with a Tickling Charm, and he could barely move for laughing. Harry hung back, with a vague feeling that it would be unsporting to bewitch Malfoy while he was on the floor,**

"That's a mistake!" Moody yelled. "When your opponent is down or unaware that's the best time to strike!"

"Alastor!" "Moody!"

"Honestly Alastor," McGonagall said disapprovingly. "He's just a boy."

"As I said earlier Minerva, it's never to early to learn," Moody grunted.

**But this was a mistake.**

"Of course it was!" Moody growled.

Tonks shook her head fondly at her mentor.

**Gasping for breath, Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry's knees, choked; "Tarantallegra!" and next second Harry's legs had begun to jerk around out of his control in a kind of quickstep.**

**"Stop! Stop!" screamed Lockhart, but Snape took charge.**

"Thank goodness," Fleur said. "Someone could've gotten seriously injured."

**"Finite Incantatem!" he shouted; Harry's feet stopped dancing, Malfoy stopped laughing and they were able to look up.**

**A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene.**

**Both Neville and Justin were lying on the floor, panting;**

Several amused looks were directed at the two boys.

**Ron was holding up an ashen-faced Seamus, apologizing for whatever his broken wand had done;**

Ron looked sheepishly at Harry who was trying not to laugh.

"You're lucky he didn't get hurt," Molly said sternly causing Ron to turn red.

**but Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving; Millicent had Hermione in a headlock and Hermione was whimpering in pain.**

"That's not fair!" Tonks shouted.

"I'm surprised a Slytherin would muggle fight," Dean said surprised.

Millicent scowled at Dean.

 **Both their wands lay forgotten on the floor. Harry leapt forward and pulled Millicent off.** **It was difficult; she was a lot bigger than he was.**

"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said with pink cheeks.

"Of course," Harry smiled at her.

**"Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. "Up you get, Macmillan ... careful there, Miss Fawcett ... pinch it hard, and it'll stop bleeding in a second, Boot ...**

Fawcett glared at the book from her seat at the Ravenclaw table. "Bloody moron."

**I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall.**

**He glanced at Snape,** **whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away.**

**"Let's have a volunteer pair - Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you?"**

**"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat.**

Three-fourths of the students snickered while Snape glared.

"That's a brilliant description!" Fred said clutching his side.

**"Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a match-box." Neville's round pink face went pinker.**

"Severus Snape!" McGonagall and Sprout yelled.

"How dare you say that!" Sprout said in defence of one of her favourite students.

"How do you expect the boy to build up his confidence if you treat him that way!" McGonagall said piercing him with her most deadly glare. "You and I will be having a serious discussion when we're done reading these books."

 _'No wonder his boggart was Severus.'_ Remus thought to look at Neville.

**"How about Malfoy and Potter?" said Snape with a twisted smile.**

"Can he smile any other way?" Seamus muttered.

**"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, gesturing Harry and Malfoy into the middle of the Hall as the crowd backed away to give them room.**

**"Now, Harry," said Lockhart,** **"When Draco points his wand at you, you do this."**

**He raised his wand, attempting a complicated sort of wiggling action and dropped it.**

The adults looked at the book in disbelief while the students either snorted or rolled their eyes.

**Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops - my wand is a little over-excited."**

There were snickered heard coming from many of the teenage boys, while the girls rolled their eyes.

"How vulgar," Lavender sniffed.

"Boys," McGonagall admonished.

 **Snape moved closer to Malfoy bent down and whispered something in his ear.** **Malfoy smirked, too.**

Remus felt a sense of foreboding. "This can't be good."

McGonagall raised her eyebrows.

**Harry looked nervously up at Lockhart and said, "Professor, could you show me that blocking thing again?"**

"Harry, why in the world would you ask him that?" Remus asked incredulously. "It's obvious from what we've read so far that you knew he was a fraud."

Harry shrugged. "I didn't know what else to do."

**"Scared?" muttered Malfoy, so that Lockhart couldn't hear him.**

**"You wish," said Harry out of the corner of his mouth.**

"Go Harry!" Dennis exclaimed.

**Lockhart cuffed Harry merrily on the shoulder. "Just do what I did, Harry!"**

**"What, drop my wand?"**

The hall burst into laughter.

"You're really funny sometimes did you know that?" George asked laughing.

 **But Lockhart wasn't listening.** **"Three - two - one - go!" he shouted.**

**Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"**

"You told him to conjure a snake?" McGonagall said in a deathly calm voice.

"Yes," Snape said not looking at her.

McGonagall took a calming breath. "What exactly made you think that having Mr. Malfoy conjuring a snake was a smart idea?"

"I was there," Snape told her. "The snake wouldn't of harmed any of the students."

"That isn't the point," McGonagall hissed.

"We can discuss this later," Dumbledore said entering the conversation.

"Very well Albus," McGonagall shot Snape a sharp look. "We will be discussing this."

**The end of his wand exploded.**

**Harry watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them and raised itself, ready to strike.** **There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor.**

"It was creepy." Leanne shuddered remembering how frightened she was watching a snake come out of Malfoys wand.

**"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it ..."**

**"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart.**

Many people groaned.

"He's just going to make it worse," Bill said shaking his head.

**He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack.**

"That's just going to make it angry," Kingsley said in his deep voice.

**Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight towards Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.**

**Harry wasn't sure what made him do it. He wasn't even aware of deciding to do it. All he knew was that his legs were carrying him forward as though he was on castors and that he had shouted stupidly at the snake, "Leave him Alone!"**

"So that's what you said to it." Several people said.

"Yes," Harry said getting angry. "I wouldn't tell the snake to attack him."

Those who thought that Harry had been egging the snake on shifting in their seats guiltily.

"I can't believe I thought you were trying to aggravate it," Justin groaned.

Remus sighed. "You didn't know you were speaking in parseltongue did you?"

"No," Harry said looking annoyed.

 **And miraculously - unexplainably - the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick black garden hose, its eyes now on Harry.** **Harry felt the fear drain out of him. He knew that snake wouldn't attack now, though how he knew, he couldn't have explained.**

**He looked up at Justin, grinning, expecting to see Justin looking relieved, or puzzled, or even grateful - but certainly not angry and scared.**

"You really can't blame him," Charlie said before putting his hands up in surrender. "I just meant that he almost gets attacked by a snake and then he hears Harry hissing. I would believe Harry if he told me he was just trying to help but the boy was only a kid, you can't expect him to think rationally."

"No, but he shouldn't of just blamed Harry," Ron said angrily.

"I didn't say that he should've Ron," Charlie said slowly. "I'm just saying that I can see why he would've been freaked out."

 _'I guess I can't really blame him, I don't know what I would've thought if I had been in Justin's shoes.'_ Harry thought.

**"What do you think you're playing at?" he shouted, and before Harry could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the Hall.**

**Snape stepped forward, waved his wand and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an unexpected way; It was a shrewd and calculating look, and Harry didn't like it.**

"I didn't know that he would be able to speak to snakes," Snape said stiffly. "Of course I was looking at him oddly."

**He was also dimly aware of an ominous muttering all round the walls. Then he felt a tugging on the back of his robes.**

**"Come on," said Ron's voice in his ear. "Move - come on ..."**

"Good get him out of there," Arthur said approvingly.

"I never did thank you for that," Harry told his two best friends. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Hermione told him.

"Of course," Ron said. "That's what best mates are for."

**Ron steered him out of the Hall, Hermione hurrying alongside them. As they went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something.**

Dumbledore was frowning, that is no way to treat a fellow student. _'Harry really had had it rough...unfortunately I'm afraid that for him the worst has yet to come.'_

**Harry didn't have a clue what was going on, and neither Ron nor Hermione explained anything until they had dragged him all the way up to the empty Gryffindor common room. Then Ron pushed Harry into an armchair and said, "You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?"**

**"I'm a what?" said Harry.**

**"A Parselmouth!" said Ron. "You can talk to snakes!"**

**"I know," said Harry.**

**"I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once - long story - but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to. That was before I knew I was a wizard ..."**

"You're rambling," Neville said. "You never ramble."

"I had no clue what was going on," Harry told him. "Everything was happening so fast."

**"A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeated faintly.**

"I probably would've fainted," Megan Jones said.

**"So?" said Harry. "I bet loads of people here can do it."**

"I was so naive," Harry sighed.

**"Oh no they can't," said Ron. "It's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad."**

"Ron." Bill and Charlie groaned.

"What?" Ron asked confused.

"Tact Ronald, tact," Hermione said slowly.

**"What's bad?" said Harry, starting to feel quite angry. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin -"**

Justin shuddered. "I never did thank you Harry."

Harry waved him off. "It's fine, I wouldn't of let the snake attack anyone."

**"Oh, that's what you said to it?"**

**"What d'you mean? You were there ... you heard me."**

**"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," said Ron, "snake language. You could have been saying anything. No wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something. It was creepy, you know."**

"You didn't actually think that he was egging the snake on?" Tonks asked angrily.

"Of course not!" Ron said quickly. "I know Harry would never do that, I just told him what it sounded like."

 **Harry gaped at him.** **"I spoke another language?** **But - I didn't realize - how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?"**

"That is weird," Padma said looking thoughtful.

**Ron shook his head. Both he and Hermione were looking as though someone had died. Harry couldn't see what was so terrible.**

**"D'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a dirty great snake biting Justin's head off?" he said. "What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?"**

Snickers were heard throughout the hall.

"I doubt the snake would have been able to take his head all the way off," Fred said off handedly.

"It most likely would've only taken a chunk out," George added.

"Him and Nick could've been nearly headless together," Lee said trying not to laugh.

Everyone in the hall looked sick at the thought.

"Fred! George!" Molly yelled. "That was uncalled for!"

"Misters Weasley and Jordan!" McGonagall said looking pale.

Justin paled at the thought of half of his neck missing. "I'm glad that Harry was there," he muttered to Ernie.

Ernie nodded his head, feeling guilty about blaming Harry for all of the attacks that year.

**"It matters," said Hermione, speaking at last in a hushed voice, "because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin house is a serpent."**

**Harry's mouth fell open.**

**"Exactly," said Ron. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandson or something ..."**

"Everyone already thought that," George said.

"Well almost everyone," Fred said.

"We didn't." The twins said together.

"But Harry being a parseltongue just increased the rumors," Fred said.

**"But I'm not," said Harry, with a panic he couldn't quite explain.**

**"You'll find that hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be."**

Some people were sending Harry curious looks.

"I assure you that Mr. Potter is not a descendant of Salazar Slytherin," Dumbledore told the hall.

**Harry lay awake for hours that night. Through a gap in the hangings round his four-poster he watched the snow starting to drift past the tower window, and wondered. Could he be a descendant of Salazar Slytherin? He didn't know anything about his father's family, after all.**

**The Dursleys had always forbidden questions about his wizarding relatives.**

Glares were sent to the book at the mention of Harry's awful relatives.

**Quietly, Harry tried to say something in Parseltongue. The words wouldn't come. It seemed he had to be face to face with a snake to do it.**

"Can't parselmouths speak it without seeing a snake?" Padma inquired.

"Yes," Snape answered remembering the Dark Lord speaking it whenever he gets mad.

**"But I'm in Gryffindor," Harry thought. "The Sorting Hat wouldn't have put me here if I had Slytherin blood ..."**

**"Ah," said a nasty little voice in his brain, "But the Sorting Hat wanted to put you in Slytherin, don't you remember?"**

"Oh Harry," Hermione whispered sadly.

**Harry turned over. He'd see Justin next day in Herbology and he'd explain that he'd been calling the snake off, not egging it on, which (he thought angrily, pummeling his pillow) any fool should have realized.**

Justin turned pink and looked sheepish.

**By next morning, however, the snow that had begun in the night had turned into a blizzard so thick that the last Herbology lesson of term was cancelled: Professor Sprout wanted to fit socks and scarves onto the Mandrakes, a tricky operation she would entrust to no one else, now that it was so important for the Mandrakes to grow quickly and revive Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey.**

**Harry fretted about this next to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, while Ron and Hermione used their lesson off to play a game of wizard chess.**

**"For heaven's sake, Harry," said Hermione, exasperated, as one of Ron's bishops wrestled her knight off his horse and dragged him off the board. "Go and find Justin if it's so important to you."**

Hermione sighed. "I should've went with you."

"Why?" Bill asked dreading the answer.

No one answered him so Angelina continued to read.

**So Harry got up and left through the portrait hole, wondering where Justin might be.**

**The castle was darker than it usually was in daytime, because of the thick, swirling grey snow at every window. Shivering, Harry walked past classrooms where lessons were taking place, catching snatches of what was happening within. Professor McGonagall was shouting at someone who, by the sound of it, had turned their friend into a badger.**

"Was that you two?" Molly asked sternly.

George and Fred gasped.

"How could you think we would do something like that?" George asked feigning hurt.

"Because I know you two," Molly said eying her twin sons.

"Well it wasn't us," Fred said.

"But I wish it was," George said his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"That wouldn't been awesome!" The twins exclaimed together.

**Resisting the urge to take a look, Harry walked on, thinking that Justin might be using his free lesson to catch up on some work, and deciding to check the library first.**

**A group of Hufflepuffs who should have been in Herbology were indeed sitting at the back of the library, but they didn't seem to be working.**

"You're going to eavesdrop," Fred said. "I approve."

"I don't eavesdrop," Harry smirked. "I just happen to overhear things that aren't meant to be overheard."

The students burst into snickers and snorts while the adults looked between a mixture of disapproval and amusement.

**Between the long lines of bookshelves, Harry could see that their heads were close together and they were having what looked like an absorbing conversation.**

"I have a feeling Harry won't like what their conversation is about," Remus said sadly.

**He couldn't see whether Justin was among them. He was walking towards them when something of what they were saying met his ears, and he paused to listen, hidden in the Invisibility section.**

**"So anyway," a stout boy was saying, "I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if Potter's marked him down as his next victim, it's best if he keeps a low profile for a while.**

Harry rolled his eyes. "If I really was the heir of Slytherin, I doubt Justin hiding up in his dormitory would've stopped me from petrifying him."

**Of course, Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was Muggle-born.**

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "He told Harry that he was a muggle-born before the chamber was even opened."

Ernie blushed but didn't say anything.

**Justin actually told him he'd been down for Eton. That's not the kind of thing you bandy about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?"**

**"You definitely think it is Potter, then, Ernie?" said a girl with blonde pigtails anxiously.**

**"Hannah," said the boy solemnly, "he's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a dark wizard.** **Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes?**

Dumbledore looked at the students over his half moon glasses. "Not all parselmouths have been evil, in fact few were. I'm afraid that Voldemort has given the gift a bad name."

**They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue."**

**There was some heavy murmuring at this, and Ernie went on, "Remember what was written on the wall? Enemies of the Heir Beware. Potter had some sort of run-in with Filch.**

"Everybody hates Filch," Kevin Entwhistle said.

Filch glared at the Ravenclaw who either didn't notice or didn't care.

**Next thing we know, Filch's cat's attacked. That first-year, Creevey, was annoying Potter at the Quidditch match, taking pictures of him while he was lying in the mud. Next thing we know, Creevey's been attacked."**

"It really did point to me," Harry muttered to himself.

**"He always seemed so nice, though," said Hannah uncertainly, "and, well, he's the one who made You-Know-Who disappear. He can't be all bad, can he?"**

**Ernie lowered his voice mysteriously, the Hufflepuffs bend closer, and Harry edged nearer so that he could catch Ernie's words.** **"No one knows how he survived that attack by You-Know-Who.** **I mean to say, he was only a baby when it happened. He should have been blasted into smithereens. Only a really powerful Dark Wizard could have survived a curse like that."**

"How could a one year old be a dark wizard?" Ron said angrily.

"People aren't born dark," Hermione said in defense of her best friend.

**He dropped his voice until it was barely more than a whisper, and said, "That's probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill him in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him.**

_'What is the real reason behind why he came after me?'_ Harry thought looking at Dumbledore. _'He knows, Dumbledore has to know why. Why won't he tell me? If I don't find out why by the end of these books I'll make him tell me, I deserve to know.'_

**I wonder what other powers Potter's been hiding?"**

Everyone looked at Harry.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm not hiding any super secret powers."

"Super secret powers?" Hermione asked him amused.

Harry smiled and shrugged.

**Harry couldn't take any more. Clearing his throat loudly, he stepped out from behind the bookshelves.**

"I would've loved to see their faces when they saw you," Fred said smirking.

**If he hadn't been feeling so angry, he would have found the sight that greeted him funny: every one of the Hufflepuffs looked as though they had been petrified by the sight of him, and the color was draining out of Ernie's face.**

**"Hello," said Harry. "I'm looking for Justin Finch-Fletchley."**

Most of the hall groaned.

"Foolish boy!" Moody yelled. "Now they're going to have more reason to suspect you!"

"You really shouldn't of said that Harry," Remus said trying not to sound too exasperated.

"I know," Harry said. "I was just so angry that I didn't care."

**The Hufflepuffs' worst fears had clearly been confirmed. They all looked fearfully at Ernie.**

"I hope that neither Ernie or Justin get petrified," Tonks said. "That would make you look really guilty."

Tonks didn't notice several people exchanging looks or Justin paling.

**"What do you want with him?" said Ernie, in a quavering voice.**

**"I wanted to tell him what really happened with that snake at the Dueling Club," said Harry.**

**Ernie bit his white lips and then, taking a deep breath, said, "We were all there. We saw what happened."**

**"Then you noticed that, after I spoke to it, the snake backed off?" said Harry.**

"They're too far gone to listen to logic," Hermione said dejectedly.

**"All I saw," said Ernie stubbornly, though he was trembling as he spoke, "was you speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake towards Justin."**

**"I didn't chase it at him!" Harry said, his voice shaking with anger. "It didn't even touch him!"**

**"It was a very near miss," said Ernie.**

Ron glared at Ernie who fidgeted.

**"And in case you're getting ideas," he added hastily, "I might tell you that you can trace my family back through nine generations of witches and warlocks and my blood's as pure as anyone's, so -"**

"Seriously?" Charlie said irritated. "His mom was a muggle-born and so is one of his best friends!"

**"I don't care what sort of blood you've got!" said Harry fiercely. "Why would I want to attack Muggleborns?"**

**"I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with," said Ernie swiftly.**

"So would you," Harry muttered darkly.

**"It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them," said Harry. "I'd like to see you try it."**

"After reading about them I couldn't handle it," Ernie said shaking his head.

**He turned on his heel and stormed out of the library, earning himself a reproving glare from Madam Pince, who was polishing the gilded cover of a large spell book.**

Fred and George snickered until the librarian gave them a stern look.

"We're not even in the library and she's giving us the evil eye," Fred whispered to his twin.

**Harry blundered up the corridor, barely noticing where he was going, he was in such a fury. The result was that he walked straight into something very large and solid, which knocked him backwards onto the floor.**

**"Oh, hullo, Hagrid," Harry said, looking up.**

**Hagrid's face was entirely hidden by a wooly, snow-covered balaclava, but it couldn't possible be anyone else, as he filled most of the corridor in his moleskin overcoat. A dead rooster was hanging from one of his massive, gloved hands.**

The girls in the hall looked disgusted.

"Why is he carrying around a dead rooster?" Parvarti asked looking revolted at the idea.

**"All righ', Harry?" he said, pulling up his balaclava so he could speak. "Why aren't yeh in class?"**

**"Cancelled," said Harry, getting up. "What're you doing in here?"**

**Hagrid held up the limp rooster.**

**"Second one killed this term," he explained. "It's either foxes or a Blood-Suckin' Bugbear, an' I need the Headmaster's permission ter put a charm round the hen-coop."**

"A charm wouldn't of mattered," Ginny whispered quietly to herself.

 **He peered more closely at Harry from under his thick, snow-flecked eyebrows.** **"Yeh sure yeh're all righ'? Yeh look all hot an' bothered."**

Fred was about to open his mouth to make a joke when his mother noticed and gave him a look, he snapped his mouth shut.

**Harry couldn't bring himself to repeat what Ernie and the rest of the Hufflepuffs had been saying about him.**

**"It's nothing," he said. "I'd better get going, Hagrid, it's Transfiguration next and I've got to pick up my books."** **He walked off, his mind still full of what Ernie had said about him.**

**"Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was Muggle-born ..."**

"I doubt that," Lisa said. "He probably didn't even remember that he had told Harry that until after the dueling club."

**Harry stamped up the stairs and turned along another corridor, which was particularly dark; the torches had been extinguished by a strong, icy draught which was blowing through a loose window pane.**

**He was halfway down the passage when he tripped head-long over something lying on the floor.**

**He turned to squint at what he'd fallen over, and felt as though his stomach had dissolved.**

**Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.**

Those who didn't know gasped and Justin paled.

"I hate your luck," Remus said in a toneless voice.

"Someone is doing a good job of framing you," Moody said his magic eye swiveling around the hall.

**And that wasn't all. Next to him was another figure, the strangest sight Harry had ever seen.**

**It was Nearly-Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin's.**

"How's that possible?" Fleur asked looking shocked.

"What kind of monster can do that to a ghost?" Bill asked his brother.

"I don't know," Charlie frowned. "I can't think of any."

**Harry got to his feet, his breathing fast and shallow, his heart doing a kind of drum-roll against his ribs.**

**He looked wildly up and down the deserted corridor and saw a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from the bodies.**

Charlie, Remus and Moody all looked thoughtfully at the book.

 _'Whatever monster it is must scare off spiders.'_ Remus thought.

**The only sounds were the muffled voices of teachers from the classes on either side.**

**He could run, and no one would ever know he had been there.**

"Harry won't run," Neville said shaking his head.

"That's because he's too noble for his own good," Hermione said resignedly.

**But he couldn't just leave him lying here ... he had to get help.**

"They wouldn't of gotten hurt anymore than they already were," George said his honorary little brother.

"You should've ran," Fred told him.

 **Would anyone believe he hadn't had anything to do with this?** **As he stood there, panicking, a door right next to him opened with a bang. Peeves the poltergeist came shooting out.**

"Once again your horrible luck comes into play," Tonks said.

"There's not way Peeves won't make a ruckus about that," Remus said remembering the poltergeist from his school days.

 **"Why, it's potty wee Potter!" cackled Peeves,** **knocking Harry's glasses askew as he bounced past him. "What's Potter up to? Why's Potter lurking -"**

**Peeves stopped, halfway through a mid-air somersault. Upside-down, he spotted Justin and Nearly-Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs and, before Harry could stop him, screamed, "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!"**

"Very subtle." Fred and George said snickering.

**Crash - crash - crash: door after door flew open along the corridor and people flooded out.**

Amelia Bones frowned. "This won't be good for Mr. Potter."

**For several long minutes, there was a scene of such confusion that Justin was in danger of being squashed**

Pomfrey frowned at that and Justin paled even further.

**and people kept standing in Nearly-Headless Nick. Harry found himself pinned against the wall as the teachers shouted for quiet.**

**Professor McGonagall came running, followed by her own class, one of whom still had black and white striped hair.**

Fred and George had to use all their will power not to laugh.

**She used her wand to set off a loud bang, which restored silence, and ordered everyone back into their classes. No sooner had the scene cleared somewhat than Ernie the Hufflepuff arrived, panting, on the scene.**

**"Caught in the act!" Ernie yelled, his face stark white, pointing his finger dramatically at Harry.**

Snuffles growled loudly causing several students to jump.

"Sorry about that," Ernie said turning red.

Harry waved his apology off.

**"That will do, Macmillan!" said Professor McGonagall sharply.**

**Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene; Peeves always loved chaos.**

"He hasn't changed," Remus said shaking his head at the poltergeists antics.

**As the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly-Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song:**

**"Oh Potter, you rotter, oh what have you done?** **You're killing off students, you think it's good fun -"**

The teachers sighed.

"Bloody menace," Ron grumbled.

**"That's enough Peeves!" barked Professor McGonagall, and Peeves zoomed away backwards, with his tongue out at Harry.**

**Justin was carried up to the hospital wing by Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinastra of the Astronomy department, but nobody seemed to know what to do for Nearly-Headless Nick. In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan out of thin air, which she gave to Ernie with instructions to waft Nearly-Headless Nick up the stairs.**

"That was the strangest thing I've ever done," Ernie said.

**This Ernie did, fanning Nick along like a silent black hovercraft. This left Harry and Professor McGonagall along together.**

**"This way, Potter," she said.**

"You didn't think he actually did it?" Remus asked, he was about to lose his temper.

"Of course not," McGonagall said. "But I had to take him to Albus."

**"Professor," said Harry at once, "I swear I didn't -"**

**"This is out of my hands, Potter," said Professor McGonagall curtly.**

"You could have been a little more reassuring," Molly sniffed. "He was probably extremely worried."

**They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle.**

**"Sherbet lemon!" she said.**

Draco sneered. _'Of course that would be the old fools password.'_

**This was evidently a password, because the gargoyle sprang suddenly to life, and hopped aside as the wall behind him split in two. Even full of dread for what was coming, Harry couldn't fail to be amazed.**

Those who had been to the headmasters office agreed with Harry.

**Behind the wall was a spiral staircase which was moving smoothly upwards, like an escalator. As he and Professor McGonagall stepped onto it, Harry heard the wall thud closed behind them. They rose upwards in circled, higher and higher, until at last, slightly dizzy, Harry could see a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.**

"That sound wicked!" Colin said excitedly.

**He knew where he was being taken. This must be where Dumbledore lived.**

Angelina closed the book. "Who wants to read next?"

"Is that the end of the chapter?" Katie asked.

"Yeah," Angelina said.

"I'll read then," Katie said taking the book from her fellow chaser.


	12. The Polyjuice Potion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delays in posting, COVID has made a mess of all my summer plans with Uni, so I have had to sort out last-minute summer accommodation

**"The Polyjuice Potion"** Katie read out to the hall.

Everyone looked eager to find out if the potion worked or not.

Snape sneered. _'There's no way that three-second years made polyjuice potion, especially not with the help of Potter and Weasley.'_

 **They stepped off the stone staircase at the top of and Professor McGonagall rapped on the door. It opened silently and they entered**.

"I thought I was going to be expelled for sure," Harry said sighing.

"But you were innocent," Neville told him.

Harry snorted. "Like that matters, almost the whole school thought that I was the heir of Slytherin. Besides, I learned a long time ago that just because you're telling the truth, it doesn't mean that anyone will actually believe you." He looked pointedly at Umbridge who scowled.

Most of the adults frowned; he shouldn't have to feel like no one will believe him.

**Professor McGonagall told Harry to wait, and left him there, alone.**

"You didn't say anything to him?" Tonks asked angrily. "You just marched him on up to the headmasters' office and left him there? No wonder he thought he was going to be expelled."

McGonagall frowned. "I had so many thought running through my mind, and I needed to get to the hospital wing." She sighed. "I honestly wasn't thinking about how it was affecting him." She turned to look at Harry. "I'm sorry Mr. Potter."

Harry waved her apology off.

**Harry looked around. One thing was certain: of all the teachers' offices Harry had visited so far this year, Dumbledore's was by far the most interesting.**

"Compared to Lockhart's office I would hope so," Ron said looking repulsed.

Harry chuckled. "I also saw Snape's."

"Snape's office is just plain creepy," Ron shuddered thinking about the creepy place.

Harry leaned towards Ron and whispered so that only he could hear. "Snape's office isn't half as creepy as Umbridge's."

**If he hasn't been scared out of his wits that he was about to be thrown out of school,**

Hermione sighed. "You wouldn't have been kicked out Harry."

"I know, I was just so worried at the time," Harry told her. "And if I got kicked out if would mean I had to go to the Dursley's."

People sent dark looks at the book; no one wanted to think about what the Dursley's would do if Harry was sent back home early.

**he would have been very pleased to have a chance to look around it.**

"Of course," Snape sneered.

Harry rolled his eyes. "What twelve year old isn't curious?"

Several people snorted.

"You're a little more than curious mate," Ron told him amused.

Harry mock scowled," Thanks, Ron.

Ron just sent him a cheeky grin.

**It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke.**

Some of the students were looking at the book curiously, wondering what those instruments do.

"That seems like a cool office," Jack Sloper whispered to his best friend.

**The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames.**

Charlie snorted. "Portraits don't sleep."

"What?" Harry asked startled. "But I always see them asleep."

Charlie laughed. "They're just pretending."

Harry scowled. "That would explain how they always seem to know everything," he muttered angrily.

**There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard's hat - the Sorting Hat.**

"Oh no," Hermione sighed. "Please tell me you aren't going to put it on?"

Harry avoided looking at her causing her to groan.

"Mr Potter!" McGonagall admonished.

"Now now Minerva," Dumbledore said his eyes twinkling. "Curiosity isn't a sin."

**Harry hesitated. He cast a wary eye around the sleeping witches and wizards on the walls.**

People were sending Harry amused scowls, which caused Harry to scowl.

**Surely it couldn't hurt if he took the Hat down and tried it on again? Just to see ... just to make sure it had put him in the right house.**

"I'm sure the hat would enjoy the conversation," Luna said staring at the ceiling.

Students were sending her weird looks.

"I'm sure he would," Dumbledore said his beard quivering. "He so rarely gets out, he would enjoy being able to have a pleasant conversation on occasion."

**He walked quietly around the desk, lifted the Hat from its shelf, and lowered it slowly onto his head. It was much to large and slipped down over his eyes, just as it had done the last time he'd put it on. Harry stared at the black inside of the Hat, waiting. Then a small voice said in his ear, "Bee in your bonnet, Harry Potter?"**

Fred, George and Lee snickered.

**"Er, yes," Harry muttered. "Er - sorry to bother you - I wanted to ask -"**

The hall broke into snickers.

"You're even polite to a hat," Neville said amused.

The adults smiled at Harry.

 _'He's such a sweet boy.'_ Molly thought while sending him a large smile.

Draco sneered. "Leave it to Potter to be nice to a bloody hat," he grumbled quietly.

**"You've been wondering whether I put you in the right house," said the Hat smartly.** **"Yes... you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said before -"**

**Harry's heart leapt**

**"- you would have done well in Slytherin."**

Snape looked as though he had swallowed a particularly sour lemon.

"You do have some of the qualities of Slytherin house," Hermione told him. "But you also have the qualities of the other three."

"Potter is much too reckless to be a Slytherin," Draco sneered.

"And you're too much of an arrogant prat to be in any house other than Slytherin," Ron snapped at the blonde.

"Ronald!" Molly yelled but Ron ignored her.

**Harry's stomach plummeted. He grabbed the point of the Hat and pulled it off. It hung limply in his hand, grubby and faded. Harry pushed it back onto the shelf, feeling sick.**

"You really don't want to be in Slytherin do you?" Neville asked.

Harry sighed. "It's not the house I hate, it's the fact that I didn't want to be in the same house as the man who murdered my parents."

**"You're wrong," he said aloud to the still and silent Hat.**

**It didn't move. Harry backed away, watching it. Then a strange, gagging noise behind him made him wheel around.**

**He wasn't alone after all. Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird, which resembled a half-plucked turkey.**

Dumbledore chuckled while he stroked his beard.

"I'm glad Fawkes isn't here to hear that," Harry said.

"Who's Fawkes?" Charlie asked.

"He's Dumbledore's pet phoenix," Harry told him.

"Do you know him?" Charlie asked looking interested; he had always found phoenixes fascinating.

"Sort of," Harry shrugged. "He's helped me out a few times.

Those who knew about phoenixes looked at Harry in awe, causing Harry to shift uncomfortably.

**Harry stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise thought it looked very ill. Its eyes were dull and, even as Harry watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail.**

"What's wrong with it?" A first-year Hufflepuff asked.

**Harry was just thinking that all he needed was for Dumbledore's pet bird to die while he was alone in the office with it,** **when the bird burst into flames.**

The hall went silent as everyone turned to look at Harry. The twins were trying not to laugh as they imagine what Harry's face would've looked like.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Neville asked coming out of his shock.

"Yes, Mr. Longbottom it is," Dumbledore answered. "They burst into flame and are reborn from the ashes."

The twins couldn't hold it anymore, the burst into laughter. Everyone turned from Harry to them.

"Can you imagine the look on Harry's face when the bird burst into flames?" Fred said through his laughter.

"He probably thought he was going to be blamed," George said clutching his side.

Angelina, Alicia and Katie each smacked the twins.

"Ouch! What was that for?" The twins asked rubbing the back of their heads.

"For being idiots," Katie said rolling her eyes.

**Harry yelled in shock and backed away into the desk.**

**He looked feverishly around in case there was a glass of water somewhere, but couldn't see one.**

Fred and George had just stopped laughing, that sentence set them off again.

 **The bird, meanwhile, had become a fireball; it gave one loud shriek and next second there was nothing but a smouldering pile of ash on the floor**.

**The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very sombre.**

"I thought he saw his dead bird," Harry said. "Or what I thought was a dead bird."

**"Professor," Harry gasped, "your bird - I couldn't do anything - he just caught fire -"**

**To Harry's astonishment, Dumbledore smiled.**

The students laughed.

"I thought he had gone mental," Harry said shaking his head.

 _'He was already mental.'_ Umbridge thought shooting a glare at the headmaster.

**"About time, too," he said. "He's been looking dreadful for days, I've been telling him to get a move on."**

"I'm sure him saying that didn't help," Susan said.

"It didn't," Harry said chuckling.

**He chuckled at the stunned look on Harry's face.** **"Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry. Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes. Watch him..."**

"I bet that was weird to watch," a third-year Gryffindor said.

"It was," Harry nodded.

**Harry looked down in time to see a tiny, wrinkled, new-born bird poke its head out of the ashes. It was quite as ugly as the old one.**

Harry shook his head. "Fawkes is a beautiful bird, just not on her burning day."

**"It's a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day," said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. "He's really very handsome most of the time: wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads; their tears have healing powers**

"Thankfully," Harry said under his breath.

**and they make highly faithful pets."**

"Always taking the time to teach," McGonagall said in approval.

"The greatest gift in the world is being able to fill the heads of our young with knowledge," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled brightly.

Umbridge sneered. _'The man is delusional.'_

**In the shock of Fawkes catching fire, Harry had forgotten what he was there for, but it all came back to him as Dumbledore settled himself in the high-backed chair behind the desk and fixed Harry with his penetrating, light-blue stare.**

**Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in, a wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of shaggy black head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.**

Lavender looked green. "I can't believe he's still carrying that thing around!"

**"It wasn' Harry, Professor Dumbledore!" said Hagrid urgently.** **"I was talkin' ter him seconds before that kid was found, he never had time, sir ..."**

**Dumbledore tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere.**

Harry chuckled. "If I hadn't been so scared at the time that I was about to be expelled I would've found it funny. It looked funny, Hagrid spraying chicken feathers everywhere."

**"...It can't've bin him, I'll swear it in front o' the Ministry o' Magic if I have to..."**

**"Hagrid, I -"**

"I think you should let Albus talk," Remus chuckled.

Hagrid blushed.

**"...Yeh've got the wrong boy, sir, I know Harry never -"**

**"Hagrid!" said Dumbledore loudly. "I do not think that Harry attacked those people."**

"That's good," Molly sighed in relief.

**"Oh," said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. "Right. I'll wait outside then, Headmaster."** **And he stomped out looking embarrassed.**

"You shouldn't be embarrassed for sticking up for your friend," Hermione said kindly causing Hagrid to beam at her.

**"You don't think it was me, Professor?" Harry repeated hopefully, as Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk.**

**"No, Harry, I don't," said Dumbledore, though his face was sombre again. "But I still want to talk to you."**

**Harry waited nervously while Dumbledore considered him, the tips of his long fingers together.**

**"I must ask you, Harry, whether there is anything you'd like to tell me," he said gently. "Anything at all."**

"Were you accusing him of something?" Molly asked sternly.

"No Molly I was not," Dumbledore said calmly. "But I did believe he knew something, and it turns out that I was correct."

**Harry didn't know what to say.**

**He thought of Malfoy shouting, "You'll be next, Mudbloods!"**

"Unfortunately, that particular incident I was aware of," Dumbledore said frowning.

**and of the Polyjuice Potion, simmering away in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.**

"That however I did not know about," Dumbledore said his eyes twinkling. "Which is impressive in itself.

The adults sent him looks of disbelief.

"Don't encourage them, Albus!" McGonagall said scandalized.

**Then he thought of the disembodied voice he had heard twice and remembered what Ron had said: "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."**

"You probably should've told him about that," Bill told the Gryffindor. "It might've helped him to figure out what the monster was."

"I thought he would think I was losing my mind," Harry said.

"I would not of thought you were going crazy," Dumbledore said although he still wouldn't look at Harry. "But I do understand why you didn't tell me, however, I would've appreciated it if you would've told me.

Harry was dying to snap at the headmaster about him not telling Harry anything, but he held his tongue.

**He thought, too, about what everyone was saying about him, and his growing dread that he was somehow connected with Salazar Slytherin...**

"I would've of course told you that you are not related to Salazar Slytherin," Dumbledore told Harry.

**"No," said Harry, "there isn't anything, Professor."**

"You really need to learn to tell people when something's wrong Harry dear," Molly said gently.

"I tell Ron and Hermione," Harry told her.

"I think Molly meant that you should tell an adult," Arthur corrected.

"As you've heard since we began reading this book, I do try to tell adults, they just never believe me," Harry said trying to not lose his patience.

The adults, especially McGonagall felt bad that Harry felt he couldn't talk to them.

**The double attack on Justin and Nearly-Headless Nick turned what had hitherto been nervousness into real panic. Curiously, it was Nearly-Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most.**

"Well it's one thing for a person to get petrified, but it's unheard of for a ghost to be petrified," Kingsley said in understanding. "After all ghosts are dead, you wouldn't think anything could hurt one."

**What could possibly do that to a ghost, people asked each other; what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead?**

_'Actually you can do quite a lot.'_ Sirius thought, thinking back to his days at Hogwarts.

**There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas.**

"I don't blame anyone for wanting to go home," Tonks said. "I would've gone home for Christmas too."

**"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left," Ron told Harry and Hermione. "Us, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be."**

**Crabbe and Goyle, who always did whatever Malfoy did,** **had signed up to stay over the holidays too. But Harry was glad that most people were leaving. He was tired of people skirting around him in the corridors, as though he was about to sprout fangs or spit poison; tired of all the muttering, pointing and hissing as he passed.**

The adults sent the students disapproving looks. Everyone who thought that Harry had been the heir and had treated him horribly felt bad.

**Fred and George, however, found all this very funny.**

"Of course they did," Arthur sighed. "I really hope that you boys didn't do anything to encourage the rumours."

**They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for the heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through..."**

"Boys!" Molly said in disapproval.

"It's okay Mrs Weasley," Harry said honestly. "It didn't bother me."

**Percy was deeply disapproving of this behaviour.**

"As he should've been," Molly huffed.

**"It is not a laughing matter," he said coldly.**

**"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred. "Harry's in a hurry."**

**"Yeah, he's nipping off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant," said George, chortling.**

Students throughout the hall were snickering, they hadn't found it funny then but they do now.

**Ginny didn't find it amusing either.**

"That we are sorry about," George said quietly to his younger sister.

**"Oh, don't," she wailed every time Fred asked Harry loudly who he was planning to attack next, or George pretended to ward Harry off with a large clove of garlic when they met.**

**Harry didn't mind; it made him feel better that Fred and George, at least, thought the idea of his being Slytherin's heir was quite ludicrous.**

Fred and George beamed at Harry.

"Of course it's ludicrous," Charlie scoffed. "His mother and his best friend are muggle-borns."

"Did you really believe that is wasn't Harry?" Dean asked.

"Of course we didn't believe it was Harry!" Fred exclaimed.

"We knew he wouldn't do something like that," George said.

**But their antics seemed to be aggravating Draco Malfoy, who looked increasingly sour each time he saw them at it.**

"Bloody Potter was getting even more attention," Draco muttered under his breath.

**"It's because he's bursting to say it's really him," said Ron knowingly. "You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything, and you're getting all the credit for his dirty work."**

"You know now that I think about it we should've known it wasn't Malfoy," Harry whispered to Ron and Hermione.

"Why's that?" Hermione asked back quietly.

"Because Malfoy would've been shouting that it was him from the top of the astronomy tower," Harry told him.

"You're right, he's too much of a prat to not boast about that," Ron muttered.

**"Not for long," said Hermione in a satisfied tone. "The Polyjuice Potion's nearly ready. We'll be getting the truth out of him any day now."**

Malfoy just glared at them, whilst Snape sneered, he didn't believe for second that they could successfully brew Polyjuice Potion 

**At last, the term ended, and a silence deep as the snow on the grounds descended on the castle. Harry found it peaceful, rather than gloomy, and enjoyed the fact that he, Hermione and the Weasleys had the run of Gryffindor Tower, which meant they could play Exploding Snap loudly without bothering anyone, and practice duelling in private.**

Most of the adults frowned.

"You really shouldn't practice duelling without an adult there," Pomfrey frowned. "Someone could've been hurt."

Members of the DA exchanged looks, but thankfully no one noticed.

**Fred, George and Ginny had chosen to stay at school rather than visit Bill in Egypt with Mr and Mrs Weasley.**

"I was a little disappointed that you guys didn't come," Bill told his siblings.

Fred, George, Ginny and Ron frowned and Percy shifted uncomfortably.

"I didn't want to leave my best friend," Ron told his brother honestly.

"We didn't want to leave Harry and Ron alone," Fred said for him and his twin.

"I understand," Bill smiled understandingly. "You guys ended up coming that summer anyway."

**Percy, who disapproved of what he termed their childish behaviour, didn't spend much time in the Gryffindor common room.**

Fred, George, Ron and Ginny rolled their eyes.

"Bloody prat," Fred muttered.

**He had already told them pompously that he was only staying over Christmas because it was his duty as a Prefect to support the teachers during this troubled time.**

Fred and George snorted.

"I'm sure that's why," George stage whispered to his twin.

"Yeah," Fred said just as loudly back. "I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that he wanted to stay to snog his girlfriend."

Percy turned red as snickers broke out around the hall.

**Christmas morning dawned, cold and white. Harry and Ron, the only ones left in their dormitory, were woken very early by Hermione, who burst in, fully dressed and carrying presents for them both.**

"Miss Granger!" "Hermione!" McGonagall, Sprout and Molly yelled.

"Boys and girls aren't supposed to enter each other's dormitories!" McGonagall said sternly.

Hermione shrugged trying not to turn red. "We were only second years and I really needed to talk with them."

"How come the girls can come into our dorms but we can't go in theirs?" Cormac McLaggen asked pompously.

"Because when Hogwarts was founded times were different," Flitwick answered. "They didn't trust boys not to enter the girls dorms."

The boys could be heard grumbling things such as 'not fair' and 'stupid old rules'.

**"Wake up," she said loudly, pulling back the curtains at the window.**

**"Hermione - you're not supposed to be in here," said Ron, shielding his eyes against the light.**

"It's a good thing you two were wearing pyjamas," Colin said.

The boys in the hall broke into laughter while the girls rolled their eyes at the males' maturity levels.

**"Merry Christmas to you, too," said Hermione, throwing him his present. "I've been up for nearly an hour, adding more lacewings to the Potion. It's ready."**

"This ought to be good," Moody said rubbing his scarred hands together.

"They probably didn't even get it right," Snape sneered. "I wouldn't get too excited."

**Harry sat up, suddenly wide awake.** **"Are you sure?"**

Hermione raised an eyebrow at her best friend.

"Don't look at me like that Mione," Harry said throwing his arms up in surrender. "I was still half asleep."

**"Positive," said Hermione, shifting Scabbers the rat so she could sit down on the end of his four-poster. "If we're going to do it, I say it should be tonight."**

Fred and George snorted.

"Merry Christmas Harry and Ron," Fred said in an imitation of Hermione.

"Now drink this horrid potion and turn into a couple of Slytherins," George said in the same voice.

"And you better hope that it works," Fred continued.

"Because if not you'll look like them forever," George finished.

Hermione scowled at the twins while the hall laughed.

**At that moment, Hedwig swooped into the room, carrying a very small package in her beak.**

**"Hello," said Harry happily, as she landed on his bed, "are you speaking to me again?"**

"Hedwig definitely is one of a kind," Charlie told Harry.

"She is," Harry smiled thinking of his first friend.

**She nibbled his ear in an affectionate sort of way, which was a far better present than the one which she had brought him, which turned out to be from the Dursleys.**

**They had sent Harry a toothpick and a note telling him to find out whether he'd be able to stay at Hogwarts for the summer holidays, too.**

"If only," Harry muttered.

"How nice of them," Tonks snarled her hair turning red.

**The rest of Harry's Christmas presents were far more satisfactory.**

"I would hope so," Hermione huffed.

**Hagrid had sent him a large tin of treacle fudge, which Harry decided to soften by the fire before eating;**

"Very smart Harry," Remus said with a smile.

**Ron had given him a book called Flying with the Cannons,**

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You do know that the Cannons are your favourite teams and not Harry's right?"

Ron turned red.

"It's okay Ron," Harry assured his friend. "I enjoyed the book."

**a book of interesting facts about his favourite Quidditch team; and Hermione had bought him a luxury eagle-feather quill.**

**Harry opened the last present to find a new, hand-knitted jumper from Mrs Weasley and a large plum cake. He put up her card with a fresh surge of guilt, thinking about Mr Weasley's car,** **which hadn't been seen since its crash with the Whomping Willow,**

"You were still thinking about that?" Ron asked in disbelief. "That was months ago!"

"Some people think about others feelings Ronald," Hermione told him with a look.

"That's sweet dear," Molly told him kindly. "But you deserved a Christmas present, no matter what you did."

Harry smiled at the Weasley matriarch.

**and the bout of rule-breaking he and Ron were planning next.**

**No one, not even someone dreading taking Polyjuice Potion later, could fail to enjoy Christmas dinner at Hogwarts.**

Harry smiled. "I love Hogwarts at Christmas."

Everyone in the hall agreed with Harry.

**The Great Hall looked magnificent.**

**Not only were there a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossing the ceiling, but enchanted snow was falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling.**

Everyone sighed, Christmas at Hogwarts was amazing 

**Dumbledore led them in a few of his favourite carols,**

"Of course he did," Bill chuckled.

Dumbledore smiled. "Music is a beautiful thing."

**Hagrid booming more and more loudly with every goblet of eggnog he consumed.**

"Hagrid." Molly, McGonagall and Sprout chided.

Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard while she smiled.

**Percy, who hadn't noticed that Fred and George had bewitched his Prefect badge so that it now read, "Pinhead",** **kept asking them all what they were sniggering at.**

The hall broke into laughter as the twins stood up to bow and Percy glared.

**Harry didn't even care that Draco Malfoy was making loud, snide remarks about his new jumper from the Slytherin table.**

Harry rolled his eyes. "I happen to like Mrs Weasley's sweaters."

Molly smiled brightly at Harry who returned it.

**With a bit of luck, Malfoy would be getting his comeuppance in a few hours' time.**

"If only," Ron muttered angrily.

**Harry and Ron had barely finished their third helpings of Christmas pudding when Hermione ushered them out of the Hall to finalize their plans for the evening.**

"I can't believe you did that on Christmas," Charlie whined. "You should've waited until the next day."

Hermione huffed. "I thought that finding out whether or not Malfoy was the heir of Slytherin was more important."

**"We still need a bit of the people you're changing into," said Hermione matter-of-factly, as though she was sending them to the supermarket for washing-powder.**

Amused looks were sent to Hermione, who took a page from Harry's book and ignored them.

**"And obviously, it'll be best if you can get something of Crabbe and Goyle's; they're Malfoy's best friends,**

"You should've got the hairs before then," Moody said in a mix of disapproval and disappointment. "I thought you were smarter than that Granger."

"Alastor!" The adults yelled while Hermione turned red.

"Honestly Alastor," McGonagall said shooting the Auror stern look. "She was a second year."

"That's no excuse," Moody grunted.

Tonks rolled her eyes at her mentor.

**he'll tell them anything.**

_'I would never tell them anything of importance.'_ Draco thought as he eyed his two friends.

**And we also need to make sure the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us while we're interrogating him."**

"That's a good point," Jimmy Peakes said. "Your plan would be ruined if the real Crabbe and Goyle came bursting in."

"It would be a funny sight though," Jack Sloper said amused.

**"I've got it all worked out," she went on smoothly, ignoring Harry and Ron's stupefied held up two plump chocolate cakes. "I've filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. All you have to do is make sure Crabbe and Goyle find them.**

"I'm not even going to comment on the fact that you drugged two students," McGonagall said as she fought hard not to sigh. "Nothing I can say to you three will change what you've already done."

Umbridge looked as though Christmas had come early and begun scribbling away. As Harry watched her write on her clipboard he got a horrible feeling in his stomach.

**You know how greedy they are, they're bound to eat them. Once they're asleep, pull out a few of their hairs and hide them in a broom cupboard."**

The students who weren't in Slytherin snickered while the Slytherins glared.

Crabbe and Goyle looked as if they didn't know what was going on, which caused people to burst into laughter.

**Harry and Ron looked incredulously at each other.**

**"Hermione, I don't think -"**

**"That could go seriously wrong -"**

**But Hermione had a steely glint in her eye, not unlike the one Professor McGonagall sometimes had.**

"Her and Harry both get these looks in their eyes when they're about to do something crazy," Ron said shaking his head. "And no matter what you tell them, they won't change their mind."

**"The potion will be useless without Crabbe and Goyle's hair," she said sternly. "You do want to investigate Malfoy, don't you?"**

"I still find it hard to believe that Hermione had to convince you two, to break rules," Neville said amused.

**"Oh, all right, all right," said Harry. "But what about you? Whose hair are you ripping out?"**

**"I've already got mine!" said Hermione brightly, pulling a tiny bottle out of her pocket and showing them the single hair inside it. "Remember Millicent Bulstrode wrestling with me at the Dueling Club?** **She left this on my robes when she was trying to strangle me!**

"Not a good idea," Moody said shaking his scarred head. "That could've been anyone's hair."

Hermione turned red, Snape noticed and raised an eyebrow.

**And she's gone home for Christmas - so I'll just have to tell the Slytherins I've decided to come back."**

"And what were you planning to say when they ask you why, or for that matter how you got back to Hogwarts?" Remus asked frowning.

"That doesn't seem very thought out," Tonks told her. "They would get suspicious when she disappeared again, they would know that something was up and go to a professor, most likely Snape."

Hermione looked disappointed.

**When Hermione bustled off to check on the Polyjuice Potion again, Ron turned to Harry with a doom-laden expression.**

**"Have you ever heard of a plan where so many things could go wrong,**

"All of Harry's plans," Fred said cheekily.

Harry mock glared at the redhead who just smiled back.

**But to Harry and Ron's utter amazement, stage one of the operation went just as smoothly as Hermione had said. They lurked in the deserted Entrance Hall after Christmas tea, waiting for Crabbe and Goyle, who had remained alone at the Slytherin table, shovelling down fourth helpings of trifle.**

Several girls were shooting disgusted looks at the two large Slytherins, both of who were of course oblivious.

**Harry had perched the chocolate cakes at the end of the bannisters. When they spotted Crabbe and Goyle coming out of the Great Hall, Harry and Ron hid quickly behind a suit of armour next to the front door.**

**"How thick can you get?" Ron whispered ecstatically, as Crabbe gleefully pointed out the cakes to Goyle and grabbed them.** **Grinning stupidly, they stuffed the cakes whole into their largemouths.**

Snape mentally groaned. _'I really need to have a talk with my house.'_

Everyone was looking at Crabbe and Goyle in disbelief.

"How can anyone be so stupid?" Marietta asked Cho quietly.

Cho looked at the two Slytherins in disgust and shook her head.

**For a moment, both of them chewed greedily, looks of triumph on their faces.**

Draco groaned. _'Bloody idiots.'_

**Then, without the smallest change of expression, they both keeled over backwards onto the floor.**

The students wanted to laugh, but seeing the disapproving looks on all of the adults' faces they held it in.

**Much the most difficult bit was hiding them in the cupboard across the Hall. Once they were safely stowed amongst the buckets and mops, Harry yanked out a couple of the bristles that covered Goyle's forehead and Ron pulled out several of Crabbe's hairs.**

**They also stole their shoes, because their own shoes were far too small for Crabbe and Goyle-sized feet.**

"Good thinking," Moody said approvingly.

**Then, still stunned at what they had just done, they sprinted up to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.**

"I was shocked that it had actually worked," Ron said. "I still am actually."

**They could hardly see for the thick black smoke issuing from the cubicle in which Hermione was stirring the cauldron. Pulling their robes up over their faces, Harry and Ron knocked softly on the door.**

"Is it supposed to do that?" Neville asked worriedly, he didn't want anything to happen to his friends, forgetting for a moment that they're in front of him perfectly fine.

"There is supposed to be black smoke yes," Snape said through gritted teeth.

**"Hermione?"**

**They heard the scrape of the lock and Hermione emerged, shiny-faced and looking anxious. Behind her, they heard the gloop-gloop of the bubbling, treacle-thick Potion. Three glass tumblers stood ready on the toilet seat.**

"Ew," Lavender squealed. "You drank from that?"

"Yes," Hermione answered rolling her eyes at her dorm mate.

**"Did you get them?" Hermione asked breathlessly.**

**Harry showed her Goyle's hair.**

**"Good. I sneaked these spare robes out of the laundry," Hermione said, holding up a small sack. "You'll need bigger sizes once you're Crabbe and Goyle."**

Moody once again nodded in approval much to the annoyance from the other adults.

"He really shouldn't be encouraging them," McGonagall said to Sprout.

**The three of them stared into the cauldron. Close up, the Potion looked like thick, dark mud, bubbling sluggishly.**

"Sounds scrumptious," Susan said sarcastically.

**"I'm sure I've done everything right," said Hermione nervously, re-reading the splotched page of Moste Potente Potions. It looks like the book says it should ... Once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves."**

"That really isn't very long," Harry said looking thoughtful. "They really should find a way to make it last longer."

"They should," Justin agreed. "You can't accomplish much in only an hour."

**"Now what?" Ron whispered.**

**"We separate it into three glasses and add the hairs."**

**Hermione ladled large dollops of the Potion into each of the glasses. Then, her hand trembling, she shook Millicent Bulstrode's hair out of its bottle into the first glass.**

**The Potion hissed loudly like a boiling kettle and frothed madly. A second later, it had turned a sick sort of yellow.**

Snape raided his eyebrows and then a twisted triumphant smile spread across his face. _'She either messed up the potion or that hair isn't human. Maybe this will make her think twice before trying to make potions she shouldn't be making.'_

**"Urgh - essence of Millicent Bulstrode," said Ron, eying it with loathing. "Bet it tastes disgusting."**

**"Add yours, then," said Hermione.**

**Harry dropped Goyle's hair into the middle glass and Ron put Crabbe's into the last one. Both glasses hissed and frothed: Goyle's turned the khaki color of a bogey,**

Most of the girls in the hall looked like they were going to gag, the boys didn't look much better.

**Crabbe's a dark, murky brown.**

_'Those two sound right.'_ Snape thought grudgingly.

"Why the different colours?" Romilda Vane asked.

"The closer the potion is to gold, the purer the person's heart is," Remus told the hall.

"No wonder Crabbe and Goyle's were so dark," Ron muttered shooting the Slytherins looks.

**"Hang on," said Harry, as Ron and Hermione reached for their glasses. "We'd better not drink them all in here: once we turn into Crabbe and Goyle we won't fit. And Millicent Bulstrode is no pixie."**

Millicent shot Harry a dirty look.

**"Good thinking," said Ron, unlocking the door. "We'll take separate cubicles."**

**Careful not to spill a drop of his Polyjuice Potion, Harry slipped into the middle cubicle.**

**"Ready?" he called.**

**"Ready," came Ron and Hermione's voices.**

**"One... two... three..."**

**Pinching his nose, Harry drank the Potion down in two large gulps. It tasted like overcooked cabbage.**

"I would've thought it tasted worse," Megan Jones said.

"It was definitely bad, but it wasn't as bad as it looked," Harry said remembering the taste.

**Immediately, his insides started writhing as though he'd just swallowed live snakes - doubled up, he wondered whether he was going to be sick -then a burning sensation spread rapidly from his stomach to the very ends of his fingers and toes. Next, bringing him gasping to all fours, came a horrible melting feeling, as the skin all over his body bubbled like hot wax, and before his eyes, his hands began to grow, the fingers thickened, the nails broadened and the knuckles were bulging like bolts.**

All of the students looked sick at the description.

"That sounds horrible," Demelza Robins said staring at the book warily.

"It felt bloody creepy," Ron shuddered.

"Why would anyone want to take a potion that makes you feel like that?" Euan Abercrombie asked incredulously.

"Sometimes in the real world you need to do things you don't necessarily like," Moody barked out.

**His shoulders stretched painfully and a prickling on his forehead told him that hair was creeping down towards his eyebrows; his robes ripped as his chest expanded like a barrel bursting its hoops;**

"You should've changed before you took the potion," Susan said.

**his feet were agony in shoes four sizes too small...**

Many of the students winced.

**As suddenly as it had started, everything stopped. Harry lay face down on the stone cold floor, listening to Myrtle gurgling morosely in the end toilet. With difficulty, he kicked off his shoes and stood up. So this was what it felt like, being Goyle.**

"It was definitely weird," Harry said.

**His large hands trembling, he pulled off his old robes, which were hanging a foot above his ankles, pulled on the spare ones and laced up Goyle's boat-like shoes. He reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes and met only the short growth of wiry bristles, low on his forehead.**

**Then he realized that his glasses were clouding his eyes, because Goyle obviously didn't need them. He took them off and called, "Are you two OK?" Goyle's low rasp of a voice issued from his mouth.**

**"Yeah," came the deep grunt of Crabbe from his right.**

"That creeped me out more than anything," Ron said. "I knew it was me talking but it was just so weird."

**Harry unlocked his door and stepped in front of the cracked mirror. Goyle stared back at him out of dull, deep-set eyes. Harry scratched his ear. So did Goyle.**

"I'm never taking polyjuice potion," Anthony said to Terry.

"Me either," Terry agreed.

**Ron's door opened. They stared at each other. Except that he looked pale and shocked, Ron was indistinguishable from Crabbe, from the pudding-basin haircut to the long, gorilla arms.**

Snickers once more broke out, everyone found Harry's descriptions to be amusing and accurate.

**"This is unbelievable," said Ron, approaching the mirror and prodding Crabbe's flat nose. "Unbelievable."**

**"We'd better get going," said Harry, loosening the watch that was cutting into Goyle' thick wrist. "We've still got to find out where the Slytherin common room is, I only hope we can find someone to follow..."**

Groans were heard from all the tables.

"You didn't find out where the common room was first?" Kevin Entwhistle asked in disbelief.

"You might've spent the entire hour just trying to find the entrance," Stewart Ackerley pointed out.

The trio all looked embarrassed.

**Ron, who had been gazing at Harry, said, "You don't know how bizarre it is to see Goyle thinking."**

The snickering was louder this time.

"Ronald!" Molly reprimanded.

"What?" Ron asked trying not to laugh.

"That was rude and uncalled for," Molly frowned.

"But it's true," Ginny muttered so her mother couldn't hear.

**He banged on Hermione's door. "C'mon, we need to go ..."**

**A high-pitched voice answered him. "I - I don't think I'm going to come after all. You go on without me."**

"Wouldn't her voice have changed to match Millicent's?" Sue Li asked frowning.

Snape's smile grew wider.

**"Hermione, we know Millicent Bulstrode's ugly, no one's going to know it's you."**

Millicent turned red.

**"No - really - I don't think I'll come. You two hurry up, you're wasting time."**

**Harry looked at Ron, bewildered.**

**"That looks more like Goyle," said Ron. "That's how he looks every time a teacher asks him a question."**

"Weren't you two worried about Hermione at all?" Ginny asked her brother and Harry.

"We thought she was just embarrassed," Ron shrugged.

**"Hermione, are you OK?" said Harry through the door.**

**"Fine - I'm fine ... Go on -"**

The adults sans Snape, Umbridge and Fudge frowned.

"I wonder what happened," Mandy murmured.

**Harry looked at his watch. Five of their precious sixty minutes had already passed.**

**"We'll meet you back here, all right?" he said.**

**Harry and Ron opened the door of the bathroom carefully, checked that the coast was clear and set off.**

**"Don't swing your arms like that," Harry muttered to Ron.**

**"Eh?"**

**"Crabbe holds them sort of stiff..."**

"How do you know that?" Several people asked at once.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know really, I just tend to notice all the little details."

"That's a good thing Potter," Moody told him. "That could save your life one day!"

"Alastor!" McGonagall said exasperated.

**"How's this?"**

**"Yeah, that's better."**

**They went down the marble staircase. All they needed now was a Slytherin whom they could follow to the Slytherin common room, but there was nobody around.**

"Didn't only a few Slytherins stay for Christmas?" Leanne frowned. "And you stuffed two of them into a closet."

The trio were all pink.

"We didn't really think it through," Ron said fidgeting.

"Obviously," Snape sneered.

**"Any ideas?" muttered Harry.**

**"The Slytherins always come up to breakfast from over there," said Ron, nodding at the entrance to the dungeons. The words had barely left his mouth when a girl with long curly hair emerged from the entrance.**

**"Excuse me," said Ron, hurrying up to her, "we've forgotten the way to our common room."**

Harry and Ron's friends groaned.

"They were second years," Alicia said. "Not even they're that thick."

**"I beg your pardon?" said the girl stiffly. "Our common room? I'm a Ravenclaw."**

Ron was sent amused looks.

"I didn't mean our as in ours and hers!" Ron protested. "I saw that her robes had blue and bronze on them, I meant Crabbe and Goyle's. I saw that she was a prefect, I thought that she would know."

**She walked away, looking suspiciously back at them.**

"I would think it was odd too," Hermione said quietly.

**Harry and Ron hurried down the stone steps into the darkness, their footsteps echoing particularly loudly as Crabbe and Goyle's feet hit the floor, feeling this wasn't going to be as easy as they had hoped.**

Snape resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

**The labyrinthine passages were deserted. They walked deeper and deeper under the school, constantly checking their watches to see how much time they had left. After a quarter of an hour, just when they were getting desperate, they heard a sudden movement ahead.**

**"Ha!" said Ron excitedly. "There's one of them now!"**

"That's not obvious Weasley!" Moody barked causing Ron to jump.

**The figure was emerging from a side room. As they hurried nearer, however, their hearts sank. It wasn't a Slytherin, it was Percy.**

"Percy?" A quarter of the hall said.

"What would Percy be doing down there?" Angelina asked.

Percy turned red while the twins smirked.

"Oh nothing much," Fred said loudly.

"Just making out with his girlfriend," George sing-songed.

"Boys," Arthur said sternly. "Don't make fun of your brother."

**"What are you doing down here?" said Ron in surprise.**

"I didn't expect to see Percy down there," Ron muttered.

**Percy looked affronted.**

**"That," he said stiffly, "is none of your business. Its Crabbe, isn't it?"**

**"Wh- oh, yeah," said Ron.**

**"Well, get off to your dormitories," said Percy sternly. "It's not safe to go wandering around dark corridors these days."**

**"You are," Ron pointed out.**

**"I," said Percy, drawing himself up, "am a Prefect. Nothing's about to attack me."**

Most of the hall rolled their eyes at his arrogance.

"I highly doubt the monster cared whether or not someone was a prefect," Bill said frowning.

**A voice suddenly echoed behind Harry and Ron. Draco Malfoy was strolling towards them, and for the first time in his life, Harry was pleased to see him.**

"I led you to the common room didn't I?" Draco asked closing his eyes

Harry and Ron smirked. "Yes."

Draco groaned as his fellow Slytherins glared at him, the rest of the hall burst into laughter.

**"There you are," he drawled, looking at them. "Have you two been pigging out in the Great Hall all this time? I've been looking for you, I want to show you something really funny."**

Ron and Harry scowled, remembering exactly what Draco had showed them.

**Malfoy glanced witheringly at Percy.**

**"And what're you doing down here, Weasley?" he sneered.**

**Percy looked outraged.**

**"You want to show a bit more respect to a school Prefect!" he said. "I don't like your attitude!"**

**Malfoy sneered and motioned Harry and Ron to follow him. Harry almost said something apologetic to Percy but caught himself just in time.**

"He would've known that something was up if either Crabbe or Goyle apologized," Tonks said unnecessarily.

**He and Ron hurried after Malfoy, who said as they turned into the next passage, "That Peter Weasley -"**

" **Percy," Ron corrected him automatically.**

Fred and George snorted.

"It's not like I meant too," Ron defended himself. "He's my brother, it just came out."

**"Whatever," said Malfoy. "I've noticed him sneaking around a lot lately. And I bet I know what he's up to. He thinks he's going to catch Slytherin's heir single-handed."**

"No that wasn't it," Ron said shaking his head.

**He gave a short, derisive laugh.**

**Harry and Ron exchanged excited looks.**

**Malfoy paused by a stretch of bare, damp stone wall.**

**"What's the new password again?" he said to Harry.**

**"Er -" said Harry.**

**"Oh yeah - pure-blood!" said Malfoy,**

The students in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff rolled their eyes.

McGonagall's lips thinned, Sprout frowned, Flitwick sent a disappointment look at Snape and Dumbledore shook his head sadly.

"So original," Hannah said dryly.

"That isn't a very nice password," Professor Vector said joining Sprout in frowning.

**not listening, and a stone door concealed in the wall slid open.**

**Malfoy marched through it and Harry and Ron followed him.**

Draco glared at Ron and Harry who were sending him smug looks.

**The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains.**

"Sounds dead depressing to me," Seamus muttered.

**A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in carved chairs.**

"It sounds really proper," Padma said.

"It is," Pansy said arrogantly.

"It's nice," Daphne said frowning.

"It's actually not that bad," Harry said remembering the large room.

Daphne sent Harry a small smile, which he returned.

**"Wait here," said Malfoy to Harry and Ron, motioning them to a pair of empty chairs set back from the fire. "I'll go and get it - my father's just sent it to me -"**

"For some reason I don't think that this will be anything good," Tonks frowned.

"It's not." Harry and Ron said.

**Wondering what Malfoy was going to show them, Harry and Ron sat down, doing their best to look at home.**

**Malfoy came back a minute later, holding what looked like a newspaper cutting.**

**He thrust it under Ron's nose. Harry saw Ron's eyes widen in shock.**

**He read the cutting quickly, gave a very forced laugh and handed it to Harry. It had been clipped out of the Daily Prophet, and it said:**

**INQUIRY AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC**

**Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car.**

The Weasleys all groaned while friends of the Weasleys glared at the blonde Slytherin.

"Of course he would find that amusing," Katie said harshly, angered on behalf of her teammates.

"What kind of person finds someone else's troubles funny?" Angelina said just as harshly.

Draco tinged pink and scowled.

**Mr Lucius Malfoy,**

Arthur glared at the book at the mention of the elder Malfoy.

**a governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,**

"Not anymore," Ron said smirking.

**where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called for Mr. Weasley's resignation.**

**"Weasley has brought the Ministry into disrepute," Mr Malfoy told our reporter. "He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately."**

**Mr Weasley was unavailable for comment, although his wife told our reporters to clear off or she'd set the family ghoul on them.**

The students snickered while Molly blushed.

**"Well?" said Malfoy impatiently, as Harry handed the cutting back to him. "Don't you think it's funny?"**

"Not at all," Harry said with a glare.

**"Ha, ha," said Harry bleakly.**

**"Arthur Weasley loves Muggles so much he should snap his wand in half and go and join them," said Malfoy scornfully. "You'd never know the Weasley's were pure-bloods, the way they behave."**

More glares were directed at Draco who was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

**Ron's - or rather, Crabbe's - face was contorted with fury.**

"I wanted to punch the git," Ron growled.

**"What's up with you, Crabbe?" snapped Malfoy.**

**"Stomach ache," Ron grunted.**

"Considering how much those two eat, that actually a good excuse," Padma said.

**"Well, go up to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick from me," said Malfoy, snickering.**

Most of the hall glared at Draco, even some of the nicer Slytherins. The teachers were all looking at him with a mixture of disappointment and disapproval.

"Mr. Malfoy! You really need to watch your mouth!" McGonagall said her lips thinning. "You are very, very lucky that you can't get into trouble during this reading. If I ever hear you say that word you will have detention for a month."

Snape sent Draco a look that clearly said they'd be talking later.

**"You know, I'm surprised the Daily Prophet hasn't reported all these attacks yet," he went on thoughtfully. "I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up. He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon. Father's always said Dumbledore's the worst thing that's ever happened to this place. He loves Muggleborns. A decent Headmaster would never've let slime like that Creevey in."**

The glares being directed at Draco were so intense that he finally looked down.

"Git," Dennis muttered, not liking the fact that Malfoy said something about his brother.

"There is nothing wrong with Mr. Creevey or any other muggleborn," Dumbledore said, you could tell by his voice he was deeply disappointed.

**Malfoy started taking pictures with an imaginary camera and did a cruel but accurate impression of Colin: "Potter, can I have your picture, Potter? Can I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes, please, Potter?"**

"He sounds jealous," Hannah said.

Draco was going to retort but most of the hall was still glaring so he didn't.

**He dropped his hands and looked at Harry and Ron.**

**"What's the matter with you two?"**

**Far too late, Harry and Ron forced themselves to laugh, but Malfoy seemed satisfied; perhaps Crabbe and Goyle were always slow on the uptake.**

"They are," Draco muttered.

**"Saint Potter, the Mudbloods' friend," said Malfoy slowly. "He's another one with no proper wizard feeling,**

"Considering I didn't know I was a wizard until I was eleven that's not surprising Malfoy," Harry said rolling his eyes. "And I'd rather be clueless about the wizarding world than an arrogant pure blood supremacist."

**or he wouldn't go around with that jumped-up Granger Mudblood.**

"Don't you dare talk about Hermione!" Harry growled at the same time Ron said. "Don't you talk about her Malfoy!"

Hermione smiled at her two best friends.

**And people think he's Slytherin's heir!"**

**Harry and Ron waited with bated breath: Malfoy was surely seconds away from telling them it was him. But then -**

**"I wish I knew who it is," said Malfoy prudently. "I could help them."**

"Mr. Malfoy!" All of the adults minus Umbridge, Fudge and Snape yelled; although Snape was glaring at him with a look usually reserved for Harry.

 _'One of these days he's going to get himself killed saying things like that.'_ Snape thought, not at all happy with his godson this chapter.

"I can't believe you said that!" Several people shouted.

"Monster!" "What kind of person would say that?" "You're horrible Malfoy!"

After several minutes Dumbledore shot purple firecrackers from his wand. "Silence! Everyone please stop talking, except for Miss Bell who should resume reading."

**Ron's jaw dropped so that Crabbe's face looked even more gormless than usual.**

**Fortunately, Malfoy didn't notice, and Harry, thinking fast, said, "You must have some idea who's behind it all ..."**

**"You know I haven't Goyle, how many times do I have to tell you?" snapped Malfoy. "And Father won't tell me anything about what happened the last time the Chamber was opened, either.**

"How would he know?" Parvarti asked. "He wasn't alive fifty years ago."

"His master probably told him all about it," Ron muttered so only Harry could hear.

**Of course, it was about fifty years ago, so it was before his time, but he knows all about it, and he says that it was all kept quiet and it'll look suspicious if I know too much about it. But I know one thing: last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. So I bet it's only a matter of time before one of them's killed this time...**

**I hope it's Granger," he said with relish.**

The hall went deathly silent as everyone turned to glare at the blonde Slytherin, after a few seconds all hell broke loose.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Was heard coming from the adults while the students were yelling insults.

"I can't believe he said that!" Ginny shrieked.

Fred and George were whispering to each other, trying to think of something they could do to the blonde.

"Silence!" Dumbledore yelled once more. "Mr. Malfoy I don't want to ever hear anything like that come from your mouth ever again." He turned to Snape. "Severus you will have a talk with him later."

Snape nodded. _'I would never wish death on young girl and Draco shouldn't either. If I'm going to save him from the Dark Lord, I need to change his views.'_

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione asked with tears in her eyes. The whole hall heard the question since Dumbledore had yelled for quiet.

Harry and Ron exchanged resigned looks.

"We didn't think you needed to know," Harry told her gently grabbing her hand. "You're like my sister Mione and I didn't think it was something you needed to here. We were only second years, you didn't need to know that a fellow classmate was wishing you death."

"We didn't think it would be a good idea to tell you," Ron told her grabbing her other head.

Hermione nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks.

More glares were sent to the Slytherin as Katie began to read.

**Ron was clenching Crabbe's gigantic fist. Feeling that it would be a bit of a give-away if Ron punched Malfoy,**

"It would've, but it would've felt so good," Ron growled.

**Harry shot him a warning look and said, "D'you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?"**

**"Oh, yeah... whoever it was expelled," said Malfoy. "They're probably still in Azkaban."**

"Unfortunately no he isn't," Harry muttered.

" **Azkaban?" said Harry, puzzled.**

Harry frowned thinking about how his godfather was stuck there for twelve years, while the rat lived with his best friend.

**"Azkaban - the wizard prison, Goyle," said Malfoy, looking at him in disbelief. "Honestly, if you were any slower, you'd be going backwards."**

People snickered, some of the tension leaving the hall.

**He shifted restlessly in his chair and said, "Father says to keep my head down and let the heir of Slytherin get on with it.** **He says the school needs ridding of all the Mudblood filth,**

"Of course," Ginny sneered looking like Malfoy for a moment.

**but not to get mixed up in it. Of course, he's got a lot on his plate at the know the Ministry of Magic raided our Manor last week?"**

**Harry tried to force Goyle's face into a look of concern.**

"It was really hard, believe me," Harry mumbled.

**"Yeah ..." said Malfoy. "Luckily, they didn't find much. Father's got some very valuable Dark Arts stuff. But luckily, we've got our own secret chamber under the drawing-room floor -"**

"So that's where you got that information," Arthur said. "I was wondering how you found out."

Draco frowned. _'I can't believe I told Potter and Weasley that, how bloody stupid. Father will kill me if he finds out it's my fault they found the chamber.'_

**"Ho!" said Ron.**

**Malfoy looked at him. So did Harry. Ron blushed. Even his hair was turning red. His nose was also slowly lengthening - their hour was up.**

"Get out of there!" Half of the hall yelled.

**Ron was turning back into himself, and from the look of horror he was suddenly giving Harry, he must be, too.**

**They both jumped to their feet.**

**"Medicine for my stomach," Ron grunted, and without further ado they sprinted the length of the Slytherin common room, hurled themselves at the stone wall and dashed up the passage, hoping against hope that Malfoy hadn't noticed anything.**

"I didn't," Draco grumbled under his breath.

**Harry checked his face in the cracked mirror. He was back to normal. He put his glasses on as Ron hammered on the door of Hermione's cubicle.**

Everyone leaned forward glad they could finally find out what happened to Hermione.

**"Hermione, come out, we've got loads to tell you -**

**"Go away!" Hermione squeaked.**

**Harry and Ron looked at each other.**

**"What's the matter?" said Ron. "You must be back to normal by now, we are ..."**

**But Moaning Myrtle glided suddenly through the cubicle door. Harry had never seen her looking so happy.**

"It must've been bad," Tonks frowned. "Myrtle is never happy."

**"Ooooooh, wait till you see," she said. "It's awful!"**

**They heard the lock slide and Hermione emerged, sobbing, her robed pulled up over her head.**

**"What's up?" said Ron uncertainly. "Have you still got Millicent's nose or something?"**

**Hermione let her robes fall and Ron backed into the sink.**

Ron winced. "Sorry about that Mione, it was a shock."

**Her face was covered in black fur. Her eyes had gone yellow and there were long pointed ears poking through her hair.**

Everyone in the hall wanted to burst into laughter but were stopped when they remember what Draco had just said about her, and saw that she looked miserable. The fact that Harry and Ron were glaring at everyone as if daring them to laugh also stopped anyone from laughing.

Snape smirked. "That will teach you not to make potions that you aren't ready to make."

"She made the potion right," Neville snapped, surprising everyone in the hall including himself.

Snape sneered and Hermione sent Neville a small smile.

**"It was a c-cat hair!" she howled. "M-Millicent Bulstrode m-must have a cat! And the P-Potion isn't supposed to be used for animal transformations!"**

**"You'll be teased something dreadful," said Myrtle happily.**

"She's nice," Andrew Kirke said shaking his head.

**"It's OK, Hermione," said Harry quickly. "We'll take you up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions ..."**

"I really should start," Pomfrey said frowning.

"Unfortunately if you do some people won't seek medical treatment," Sprout said also frowning.

Pomfrey sighed. "You're right."

**It took a long time to persuade Hermione to leave the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle sped them on their way with a hearty guffaw.**

**"Wait till everyone finds out you've got a tail!"**

Fred and George wanted nothing more than to laugh but the look on Hermione's face stopped them.

"The chapters over," Katie said closing the book.

Dumbledore stood up. "It's now time for dinner." He waved his hands and food appeared on all of the tables. "Dig in!"

During dinner Harry and Ron succeeded in cheering Hermione up, much to the relief of both boys. One person who wasn't happy during the meal was Draco; everyone would occasionally turn to glare at the Slytherin, who sat at the table sulking.

Half an hour later Dumbledore stood up and everyone went silent. "Who would like to read the next chapter?"

"I will," Romilda said accepting the book from Katie.


	13. A Very Secret Diary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention, Hogwarts is reading this just after Christmas

**"The Very Secret Diary."** Romilda read out to the hall once she had the book opened to the correct page.

Harry resisted the urge to groan when the chapter title was read out, and Ginny instantly paled.

**Hermione remained in the hospital wing for several weeks.**

"Do you think Madam Pomfrey would've been able to heal you faster if she knew what was wrong?" Neville asked.

"No, I wouldn't have," Pomfrey said frowning. "A poly juice potion like that takes several weeks to fix no matter what."

**There was a flurry of rumour about her disappearance when the rest of the school arrived back from their Christmas holidays,**

"Of course there was," Tonks rolled her eyes.

**because of course, everyone thought that she had been attacked.**

"Not yet," Ron muttered angrily.

Hermione flinched when she heard Ron. Harry and Ron each grabbed one of her hands in silent support.

**So many students filed past the hospital wing trying to catch a glimpse of her that Madam Pomfrey took out her curtains again and placed them around Hermione's bed, to spare her the shame of being seen with a furry face.**

"Thank you for that Madam Pomfrey," Hermione said quietly but everyone still heard.

"Of course Miss Granger," Pomfrey told her.

"Could you imagine what Malfoy would've said if he would've seen here?" Ron asked Harry.

"I don't want to know," Harry whispered back sending a glare towards Draco.

**Harry and Ron went to visit her every evening.**

"That was nice of you boys," Molly said fondly.

"She is our best friend," Harry said. "We, of course, we would visit her."

"Besides she would've gone crazy with no one to talk to for almost a month.

**When the new term started, they brought her each day's homework.**

Most of the students turned to look at her as if she was crazy.

"It wasn't the same not being able to hear the lessons myself," Hermione said frowning. "And not being able to practice the spells."

"Leave it to Granger to actually want to do her homework when she's in the hospital wing," Draco said rudely.

"There's nothing wrong with Miss Granger wanting to be a good student," McGonagall said piercing him with a look.

**"If I'd sprouted whiskers, I'd take a break from work," said Ron, tipping a stack of books onto Hermione's bedside table one evening.**

"If you got a paper cut you'd take a break from work," Harry said his lips twitching.

"Shut it," Ron said turning red as people laughed.

"Really Ronald, you really should focus more on your classes," Molly said piercing her youngest son with a look..

Ron rolled his eyes and Molly sent him a warning look.

**"Don't be silly, Ron, I've got to keep up," said Hermione briskly.**

"That would've sucked if she had to make up a months worth of school work," Angelina said.

**Her spirits were greatly improved by the fact that all the hair had gone from her face and her eyes were turning slowly back to brown.**

Fred and George snickered but were silenced by looks from Harry and Ron.

**"I don't suppose you've got any new leads?" she added in a whisper so that Madam Pomfrey couldn't hear her.**

**"Nothing," said Harry gloomily.**

**"I was so sure it was Malfoy," said Ron, for the hundredth time.**

**"What's that?" asked Harry, pointing to something gold sticking out from under Hermione's pillow.**

Hermione groaned. "I hate how you notice everything."

"Oh," said Fred rubbing his hands together. "This should be good."

 **"Just a Get Well card** ," **said Hermione hastily,** **trying to poke it out of sight, but Ron was too quick for her. He pulled it out, flicked it open and read aloud: "To Miss Granger, wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League and five times winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming Smile Award."**

Fred and George made faces of disgust while everyone in the hall looked at her in disbelief.

"You slept with that under your pillow?" Kevin asked wrinkling his nose.

Hermione turned red and mumbled something incomprehensible.

**Ron looked up at Hermione, disgusted.**

**"You sleep with this under your pillow?"**

"I didn't sleep with it under my pillow," Hermione said huffing. "I put it there when I saw them coming because I knew they'd make fun of it."

"Of course we would!" Ron exclaimed. "Lockhart was a bloody idiot!"

**But Hermione was spared answering by Madam Pomfrey sweeping over with her evening dose of medicine.**

**"Is Lockhart the smarmiest bloke you've ever met, or what?" Ron said to Harry as they left the dormitory and started up the stairs towards Gryffindor Tower.**

"Yes." Almost everyone in the hall said.

"The fact that he sent a twelve-year-old girl a card is creepy," Wayne said.

Everyone turned to stare at him.

"What?" Wayne said looking at all of the weird looks he was receiving.

**Snape had given them so much homework, Harry thought he was likely to be in the sixth year before he finished it.**

"Don't be so overdramatic Potter." Snape sneered. "I didn't give you that much homework in your second year, you have much more this year."

**Ron was just saying he wished he had asked Hermione how many rat tails you** **were supposed to add to a Hair-Raising Potion,**

Molly sent her son a disapproving look. "You should be doing your own homework."

"Now Molly, there is nothing wrong with him asking for help," Arthur told his wife.

"I know that," Molly huffed. "But there's no reason why he shouldn't be able to look up the answer for himself."

**when an angry outburst from the floor above reached their ears.**

**"That's Filch," Harry muttered, as they hurried up the stairs and paused, out of sight, listening hard.**

"I'm surprised you two didn't just burst right in," Dean told his dorm mates.

**"You don't think someone else's been attacked?" said Ron tensely.**

"I hope not," Tonks muttered.

**They stood still, their heads inclined towards Filch's voice, which sounded quite hysterical.**

"It doesn't take much for Filch to become hysterical," Fred said with a shrug.

"Yeah," George said. "We see him in that state all the time."

"That's because you two are usually causing trouble," McGonagall said piercing the twins with a look.

"Who?" Fred said looking around wildly.

"Us?" George asked pretending to be insulted.

"Never!" The twins yelled together causing students to chuckle and the teachers to look at them in disapproval.

**"-even more work for me! Mopping all night, like I haven't got enough to do! No, this is the final straw, I'm going to Dumbledore-"**

Most of the students in the hall rolled their eyes, he's always complaining to Dumbledore.

"I don't know why he bothers complaining to Dumbledore," Ron whispered to Harry. "It's not like Dumbledore does anything about the stuff he whines about."

**His footsteps receded and they heard a distant door slam.**

**They poked their heads around the corner. Filch had clearly been manning his usual lookout post; they were once again on the spot where Mrs. Norris had been attacked.**

"Of course you were," Remus sighed.

"You guys always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," Bill groaned.

"More like the wrong place at the right time," Harry said louder than he meant too.

Everyone turned to stare at him incredulously.

"How exactly do you figure that?" Charlie asked exasperated.

"Well in my first year if I hadn't been there to stop Voldemort, he might of come back early," Harry said. Umbridge shot Harry a filthy look. "In my second year...well you'll see who would've died if I hadn't been there, at the end of my third year there will be two more reasons." Harry sighed. "Bad things do happen to me but I seem to be able to help people because of the bad."

"I'm really not looking forward to reading about any of those times," Remus said trying to keep calm.

**They saw at a glance what Filch had been shouting about. A great flood of water stretched over half the corridor, and it looked as though it was still seeping from under the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Now Filch had stopped shouting, they could hear Myrtle's wails echoing off the bathroom walls.**

"He was actually screaming louder than Myrtle?" Tonks asked shocked. "I didn't even know that, that was possible."

"He was complaining really loud," Ron said.

Filch shot Ron a filthy look that the red head ignored.

**"Now what's up with her?" said Ron.**

"Something's always up with her," a second year Hufflepuff girl said.

**"Let's go and see," said Harry, and holding their robes over their ankles they stepped through the great wash of water to the door bearing its 'Out of Order' sign, ignored it as always, and entered.**

"Of course you did." A few people muttered.

**Moaning Myrtle was crying, if possible, louder and harder than ever before. She seemed to be hiding down her usual toilet.**

**It was dark in the bathroom because the candles had been extinguished in the great rush of water that had left both walls and floor soaking wet.**

Those who had met Myrtle before rolled her eyes at her temper tantrum.

"That's actually pretty impressive," Charlie said to himself.

**"What's up Myrtle?" said Harry.**

**"Who's that?" glugged Myrtle miserably. "Come to throw something else at me?"**

Ginny stiffened and paled, realizing this was when she'd tried to get rid of the diary. Fred and George noticed the change in their sister, they each grabbed one of her hands.

"Why would anyone throw something at her?" Justin asked. "She's a ghost, it's not like it'd actually hurt her."

**Harry waded across to her cubicle and said, "Why would I throw something at you?"**

**"Don't ask me," Myrtle shouted, emerging with a wave of yet more water, which splashed onto the already sopping floor. "Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me ..."**

"That must be the diary," Padma said thinking about the chapter title.

**"But it can't hurt you if someone throws something at you," said Harry, reasonably. "I mean, it'd just go right through you, wouldn't it?"**

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "I would expect such a lack of tact from Ron, but not from you."

"Oi!" Ron shouted as everyone laughed.

**He had said the wrong thing. Myrtle puffed herself up and shrieked, "Let's all throw books at Myrtle because she can't feel it! Ten points if you can get it through her stomach! Fifty points if it goes through her head! Well, ha ha ha! What a lovely game, I don't think!"**

"Sounds like a pretty fun game to me," Fred said snickering.

**"Who threw it at you, anyway?" asked Harry.**

**"I don't know ... I was just sitting on the U-bend, thinking about death,**

"That ghost is bloody weird," Roger Davies muttered.

"Why did she even become a ghost?" Morag asked. "Who'd want to be miserable for eternity?"

**and it fell right through the top of my head," said Myrtle, glaring at them. "It's over there, it got washed out."**

**Harry and Ron looked under the sink, where Myrtle was pointing. A small, thin book lay there. It had a shabby black cover and was as wet as everything else in the bathroom.**

**Harry stepped forward to pick it up, but Ron suddenly flung out an arm to hold him back.**

"Why?" A first-year Gryffindor asked.

**"What?" said Harry.**

**"Are you mad?" said Ron. "It could be dangerous."**

"It's a book," a first-year Hufflepuff said. "It can't be dangerous."

"Of course it could be dangerous!" Moody yelled. "Everything has the potential to be dangerous even something as inconspicuous as a book! You need to always be alert! Constant Vigilance!"

"Don't scare the kids Mad-Eye," Tonks said when she noticed the scared looks on the younger students.

"I'm just telling them the truth!" Moody barked.

**"Dangerous?" said Harry, laughing. "Come off it, how could it be dangerous?"**

Harry sighed. _'I really was naive back then.'_

**"You'd be surprised," said Ron, who was looking apprehensively at the book. "Some of the books the Ministry's confiscated - Dad's told me - there was one that burned your eyes out.**

"That's pleasant," Parvarti shivered.

**And everyone who read Sonnets of a Sorcerer spoke in limericks for the rest of their lives.**

"I always knew that reading was dangerous," Fred said with an exaggerated sigh.

"Maybe we should stop reading?" George suggested.

"Sounds like a good plan oh brother of mine," Fred nodded.

"I don't think so," Molly said sternly.

"We tried." Both twins said sadly.

**And some old witch in Bath had a book that you could never stop reading! You just had to wander around with your nose in it, trying to do everything one-handed. And -"**

"I think he gets it," Lee snickered.

**"All right, I've got the point," said Harry.**

**The little book lay on the floor, nondescript and soggy.**

"It doesn't seem very threatening," Demelza said.

"Looks can be misleading!" Moody barked.

"Yeah just look at Harry," Fred said.

"You'd never know he was powerful," George said.

"I mean he's a scrawny speckled-" Fred added on.

"Little boy," George said smiling at a glaring Harry.

"Isn't that right Harrikins?" The twins asked as the hall snickered.

"Shut it," Harry snapped in mock anger.

**"Well, we won't find out unless we look at it," he said, and he ducked round Ron and picked it off the floor.**

"Harry." The hall groaned.

"What?" Harry asked sheepishly.

"Didn't Ron just give you several reasons as to why you shouldn't pick up the book?" Remus asked exasperated.

"Yeah..." Harry trailed off.

"Then why did you pick it up?" Remus asked.

"I had a feeling that I should pick it up," Harry said. "I've learned to trust my instincts."

"He does normally have really good instincts," Tonks said slowly.

"Let's hope they're good in this instance," Remus said.

"They obviously were since he's sitting perfectly fine in front of us," Tonks pointed out and Remus looked sheepish.

**Harry saw at once that it was a diary, and the faded year on the cover told him it was fifty years old.**

Eyebrows around the hall were raised.

"Someone kept a diary for fifty years?" Demelza asked incredulously.

"It must've bee important," Romilda said.

"You could say that," Harry said quietly so that no one could hear.

**He opened it eagerly. On the first page he could just make out the name "T. M. Riddle" in smudged ink.**

McGonagall, knowing just who T.M. Riddle is, paled.

Dumbledore lost the twinkle in his blue eyes.

Harry, Hermione and Ron glared at the book.

The twins each put an arm around their sister who had gone stiff.

**"Hang on," said Ron, who had approached cautiously and was looking over Harry's shoulder. "I know that name ...**

McGonagall frowned. _'How would he know the name? Barely anyone knows that Tom Riddle is now You-Know-Who.'_

**T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago."**

_'That would explain it.'_ McGonagall thought relieved that he hadn't known who he was.

**"How on earth d'you know that?" said Harry in amazement.**

"How do you know that?" Charlie asked looking at his brother.

Ron muttered something that sounded like, that bloody git.

**"Because Filch made me polish his shield about fifty times in detention," said Ron resentfully. "That was the one I burped slugs all over. If you'd wiped slime off a name for an hour, you'd remember it, too."**

Several girls turned green.

**Harry peeled the wet pages apart. They were completely blank.**

"Someone kept a blank diary for fifty years," Hannah said. "What's the point of that?"

"Oh, he had a point," Harry muttered.

 **There wasn't the faintest trace of writing on any of them, not even "Auntie Mabel's birthday"** , **or " dentist, half past three ".**

**"He never wrote in it," said Harry, disappointed.**

"That's not very helpful," Susan frowned.

**"I wonder why someone wanted to flush it away?" said Ron curiously.**

_'Because it was evil.'_ Ginny thought sadly.

**Harry turned to the back cover of the book and saw the printed name of a news agent's in Vauxhall Road, London.**

**"He must've been Muggle-born," said Harry thoughtfully, "to have bought a diary from Vauxhall Road... "**

"Remember that," Harry said looking at the Slytherins. "It's important."

The students looked at him oddly but didn't say anything.

**"Well, it's not much use to you," said Ron.** **He dropped his voice. "Fifty points if you can get it through Myrtle's nose."**

"Ronald," Molly sighed.

Ron looked sheepish.

**Harry, however, pocketed it.**

"Of course you did," McGonagall said dryly.

**Hermione left the hospital wing, de-whiskered, tail-less, and fur-free, at the beginning of February.**

The hall chuckled and Hermione blushed.

**On her first evening back in Gryffindor Tower, Harry showed her T. M. Riddle's diary and told her the story of how they found it.**

**"Oooh, it might have hidden powers," said Hermione enthusiastically, taking the diary and looking at it closely.**

The twins burst out laughing.

"Oooh," Fred said waving his hands.

"Hidden powers, really Hermione?" George asked cheekily.

Hermione huffed. "You're both laughing now, let's see if you still are by the end of the chapter."

The twins exchanged looks.

**"I wish I knew why someone did try to chuck it," said Harry. "I wouldn't mind knowing how Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts, either."**

**"Could've been anything," said Ron. "Maybe he got thirty O's or saved a teacher from the giant squid.**

Most of the students snorted.

"The squids nice!" Fred and George exclaimed looking insulted on the squids behalf.

**Maybe he murdered Myrtle, that would've done everyone a favor ..."**

The adults sent disapproving looks at Ron.

Hermione and Harry exchanged looks before looking at a shocked looking Ron.

"I can't believe you said that," Hermione hissed quietly so only her two best friends could hear.

"I didn't know that it was true," Ron said in his defense.

"You know, maybe we should write down everything Ron says that sounds odd from now on," Harry whispered.

Hermione raised her eyebrows in question.

"All of the things he says like the thing about fighting a troll from first year," Harry told them. "They end up being true."

"Actually it was Fred who told me we'd have to fight a troll," Ron muttered.

Harry shrugged. "There have been other instances."

The trio exchanged one last look before returning back to listening.

**But Harry could tell from the arrested look on Hermione's face that she was thinking what he was thinking.**

**"What?" said Ron, looking from one to the other.**

**"Well, the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, wasn't it?" he said. "That's what Malfoy said."**

"You thought that the diary might have information on the chamber?" Jimmy Peakes asked.

"Yeah," Ron said.

"Did it?" Jimmy asked looking between each member of the trio.

Hermione, Ron and Harry exchanged looks.

"You could say that," Harry said grumpily.

Harry's declaration caused everyone in the hall to exchange confused looks.

"Why doesn't he seem happy that it had information?" Hannah whispered to Susan.

"I'm not sure," Susan told her. "I'm sure we'll find out."

**"Yeah..." said Ron slowly.**

**"And this diary is fifty years old," said Hermione, tapping it excitedly.**

**"So?"**

**"Oh, Ron, wake up," snapped Hermione.**

Fred and George snickered while Ron scowled.

**"We know the person who opened the Chamber last time was expelled fifty years ago. We know T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago. Well, what if Riddle got his special award for catching the heir of Slytherin?"**

"That's smart," Charlie said. "I never would've figured that out."

**But Harry could tell from the arrested look on Hermione's face that she was thinking what he was thinking.** **His diary would probably tell us everything: where the Chamber is, and how to open it, and what sort of creature lives in it.**

"Did it?" Colin asked excitedly.

"No," was all Harry would say.

**"That's a brilliant theory, Hermione," said Ron, "with just one tiny little flaw. There's nothing written in his diary."**

**But Hermione was pulling her wand out of her bag.**

**"It might be invisible ink!" she whispered.**

"Probably not," Padma said. "Invisible ink is to easy to make become un-invisible."

**She tapped the diary three times and said, "Aparecium!"**

**Nothing happened.**

**Undaunted, Hermione shoved her hand into her bag and pulled out what appeared to be a bright red eraser.**

"A revealer," Terry said.

**"It's a Revealer, I got it in Diagon Alley," she said.**

"Why did you buy a revealer?" Neville asked.

"I thought it might come in handy," Hermione said with a shrug.

"You thought you might need to make invisible ink, un-invisible?" Dean asked.

"With Harry you never know," Hermione said seriously.

Harry snorted. "Thanks Mione."

**She rubbed hard on January first. Nothing happened.**

**"I'm telling you, there's nothing to find in there," said Ron. "Riddle just got a diary for Christmas and couldn't be bothered filling it in."**

"Unfortunately he filled it with something worse," Harry muttered.

**Harry couldn't explain, even to himself, why he didn't just throw Riddle's diary away.**

**The fact was that even though he knew the diary was blank, he kept absent-mindedly picking it up and turning the pages, as though it was a story he wanted to finish. And while Harry was sure he had never heard the name T. M. Riddle before, it still seemed to mean something to him,** **almost as though Riddle was a friend he'd had when he was very small, and half-forgotten.**

Dumbledore frowned. _'It could be possible that the piece of Voldemort's soul that resides in Harry might have recognized the horcrux within the diary.'_

"That's odd," Tonks said looking oddly at the book.

"It's kind of creepy," Charlie said.

**But this was absurd. He'd never had friends before Hogwarts, Dudley had made sure of that.**

Once again people glared at the book at the mention of the Dursley's.

**Nevertheless, Harry was determined to find out more about Riddle, so, next day at break, he headed for the trophy room to examine Riddle's special award,**

"The plaques don't give the reason why," Bill said.

"Isn't there records of why people received those awards?" Charlie asked.

"There is," Madam Pince said. "The record book is in the library."

"If only I would've known that then," Harry said to himself.

**accompanied by an interested Hermione and a thoroughly unconvinced Ron, who told them he'd seen enough of the trophy room to last him a lifetime.**

"Don't over exaggerate Ron," Ginny rolled her eyes.

**Riddle's burnished gold shield was tucked away in a corner cabinet. It didn't carry details of why it had been given to him ("Good thing, too, or it'd be even bigger and I'd still be polishing it," said Ron).**

Fred, George and Lee snorted.

"Honestly Ronald," Hermione huffed.

**However, they did find Riddle's name on an old Medal for Magical Merit, and on a list of old Head Boys.**

"That's impressive," Kingsley's deep voice said.

"He sounds like Percy." Fred and George said in unison.

"He's nothing like Percy." Harry, Ron and Hermione all said at once, disgust clear in their voices.

Everyone including Percy looked at them oddly.

"What?" Ron said glaring in every direction.

**"He sounds like Percy," said Ron, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Prefect, Head Boy- probably top of every class."**

Ron blanched. "Percy may have abandoned us, but he'd never be like him," he whispered to Harry.

**"You say that like it's a bad thing," said Hermione, in a slightly hurt voice.**

"Sorry about that," Ron said sheepishly. "I didn't mean it like it was a bad thing."

"But it is a bad thing," Fred said seriously.

"A very bad thing," George agreed.

"I was head boy," Bill said raising an eyebrow at his twin brothers.

"You're an exception," Fred said.

"My dad was head boy," Harry said.

"Him too," George quickly added.

**The sun had now begun to shine weakly on Hogwarts again. Inside the castle, the mood had grown more hopeful. There had been no more attacks since those on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, and Madam Pomfrey was pleased to report that the Mandrakes were becoming moody and sensitive, meaning that they were fast leaving childhood.**

"That sounds like typical teenagers," Tonks said, smiling cheekily when the teenagers in the hall glared at her.

**"The moment their acne clears up, they'll be ready for re-potting again," Harry heard her telling Filch kindly one afternoon. "And after that, it won't be long until we're cutting them up and stewing them.**

Parvarti and Lavender made disgusted faces.

**You'll have Mrs. Norris back in no time."**

"At least she tried to cheer him up," Molly said. "That was nice."

"It didn't work," Ron muttered. "He was still a huge git."

**Perhaps the heir of Slytherin had lost his nerve, thought Harry.**

**It must be getting riskier and riskier to open the Chamber of Secrets, with the school so alert and suspicious. Perhaps the monster, whatever it was, was even now settling itself down to hibernate for another fifty years...**

**Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff didn't take this cheerful view.** **He was still convinced that Harry was the guilty one, that he had "given himself away" at the Dueling Club.**

Ernie flushed as Ron glared at him.

"If he was the heir I doubt he would've spoken parseltongue in front of most of the school," Tonks pointed out.

Sprout sighed. "Unfortunately children don't always think logically.

**Peeves wasn't helping matters;**

"When does he ever?" Marietta said disgruntled, thinking of all the times the poltergeist had pranked her.

**he kept popping up in crowded corridors singing "Oh, Potter, you rotter..." now with a dance-routine to match.**

Fred and George burst into laughter.

"Boys!" Molly yelled. "That isn't funny."

"It's okay Mrs. Weasley," Harry told her honestly. "If it wouldn't have been about me, I'm sure I would've found it funny."

Molly still looked disapproving but she didn't say anything further.

**Gilderoy Lockhart seemed to think he himself had made the attacks stop.**

The hall snorted, even the teachers.

"He wishes," Ron said annoyed.

**Harry overheard him telling Professor McGonagall so while the Gryffindors were lining up for Transfiguration.**

**"I don't think there'll be any more trouble, Minerva," he said, tapping his nose knowingly and winking. "I think that Chamber has been locked for good this time. The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught them. Rather sensible to stop now, before I came down hard on them.**

"What was he going to do, drowned it in his hair gel?" Cormac asked scathingly.

"Nah," George said waving his hand in an over dramatic way.

"More like talk the best to death," Fred said.

"Why couldn't Lockhart have been petrified instead of the students?" Tonks asked.

"Auror Tonks!" Umbridge yelled scandalized as the hall laughed.

 _'Honestly!'_ Umbridge thought glaring at Tonks. _'That woman is horribly unprofessional, I'll see to it that's she's fired.'_ She then quickly began scribbling on her clipboard.

**You know, what the school needs now is a morale-booster. Wash away the memories of last term!** **I won't say any more just now, but I think I know just the thing..."**

Those who were students at the time Lockhart taught groaned, remembering what exactly his idea of a morale booster was.

"It can't be that bad," Kingsley said.

"Oh no it was," Megan Jones said grumpily.

"Worst day of my life, that was," Wayne Hopkins said.

Those who hadn't been there looked interested to see what would happen.

**He tapped his nose again and strode off.**

**Lockhart's idea of a morale-booster became clear at breakfast time on February the fourteenth.**

"This should be good," Tonks said smiling, turning her hair pink.

**Harry hadn't had much sleep because of a late-running Quidditch practice the night before,**

"How late exactly?" Molly asked frowning.

"It was past curfew by the time we got back," Harry shrugged.

Everyone looked at Oliver in disbelief.

"What?" Oliver asked. "We needed to train!"

"It's not like Potter isn't good enough without practice," one of the Ravenclaw chasers grumbled.

**and he hurried down to the Great Hall slightly late. He thought, for a moment, that he'd walked through the wrong doors.**

"I thought the same thing mate," Ron told him.

**The walls were covered with large, lurid pink flowers.** **Worse still, heart-shaped confetti was falling from the pale blue ceiling.**

All of the males were looking at the book in disgust. Moody's magical had stopped swiveling around in his head to look at the book in disbelief. The male students who hadn't been there were closing their eyes, as though it would keep the image of pink heart shaped confetti out of their minds. Bill and Charlie were shooting exasperated looks at the book.

"I'm a girl, and I thought it was horrid," Eloise Midgen said.

**Harry went over to the Gryffindor table, where Ron was sitting looking sickened, and Hermione seemed to have come over with giggles.**

Hermione blushed.

**"What's going on?" Harry asked them, sitting down, and wiping confetti off his bacon.**

"It ruined perfectly good food," Ron muttered to himself.

**Ron pointed to the teachers' table, apparently too disgusted to speak.** **Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes** **to match the decorations, was waving for silence.**

"What self respecting man wears pink robes?" Charlie asked shaking his head.

"This is Lockhart we're talking about," Harry said. "He has no self-respect."

**The teachers on either side of him were looking stony-faced.**

**From where he sat, Harry could see a muscle going in Professor McGonagall's cheek. Snape looked as though someone had just fed him a large beaker of Skele-Gro.**

"That whole entire day was full of one atrocity after another," Snape said glaring at the book.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day where I agreed with Snape," Harry said to Ron.

**"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards!**

Eyes were rolled and snorts were heard.

"I'm actually surprised he didn't have more," Charlie mused.

"Well he had been teaching them for five months," Bill said. "Most of the students probably realized by then that he was useless."

**Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all - and it doesn't end here!"**

"There's more?" Remus asked dumbfounded.

"Tell me it was something that I can arrest him for," Moody grunted.

"You mean wearing pink robes, being a fraud and using more hair products than Malfoy isn't enough?" Harry asked innocently.

Draco glared at Harry while the rest of the hall laughed.

**Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the Entrance Hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them wearing golden wings and carrying harps.**

The males in the hall shuddered.

"It was horrible," Anthony said.

"He must've paid them a lot, to convince them to dress up like that," Arthur said.

"No, he probably just obliviated them afterwards," Ron muttered.

**"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart.**

Harry snorted. "I wouldn't exactly say that they were friendly."

**"They will be roving around the school today delivering your Valentines!**

"They were a nuisance," Flitwick squeaked. "They barged into my classroom, disrupting my lessons all day."

**And the fun doesn't stop here!** **I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion!** **Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion!**

The students laughed as they pictured their least favorite professor teaching them how to make love potions.

"Did you show anyone?" Tonks asked cheekily.

"No students bodies were found," Fred said.

"So no," George said. "Nobody asked him.

This caused the students to laugh harder, the Weasley adults to send their twin sons stern looks and Snape to sneer.

**And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"**

Flitwick turned red as the students chuckled.

**Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison.**

"Slow acting and horribly painful, I assure you," Snape said silkily.

"Severus!" The other teachers yelled while Dumbledore sent him a disapproving look.

Amelia stared at Snape over her monocle with a frown, Moody's eyes both focused on him, Fudge spluttered and Umbridge quickly wrote on her clipboard.

**"Please, Hermione, tell me you weren't one of the forty-six," said Ron, as they left the Great Hall for their first lesson. Hermione suddenly became very interested in searching her bag for her timetable and didn't answer.**

Hermione was sent amused looks that she tried to ignore.

**All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver Valentines, to the annoyance of the teachers, and late that afternoon, as the Gryffindors were walking upstairs for charms, one of them caught up with Harry.**

Those who remember hearing the Valentine chuckled.

Harry and Ginny both turned red.

**"Oy, you! 'Arry Potter!" shouted a particularly grim-looking dwarf, elbowing people out of the way to get to Harry.**

"So romantic," Tonks rolled her eyes.

**Hot all over at the thought of being given a Valentine in front of a queue of first-years, which happened to include Ginny Weasley, Harry tried to escape.**

Amusement could be clearly seen on almost everyone's face, especially those who didn't like Harry.

**The dwarf, however, cut his way through the crowd by kicking people's shins,**

"That's not very nice," Luna said in her usually dreamy voice.

**and reached him before he'd gone two paces.**

"He was pretty fast," Ron said laughing.

Harry sent his best friend a glare causing his laughter to increase.

**"I've got a musical message to deliver to 'Arry Potter in person," he said, twanging his harp in a threatening sort of way.**

Several students began to choke on their laughter.

"How exactly can someone twang a harp in a threatening way?" Fred choked out between bouts of laughter.

"Oh it's possible," Harry grumbled. "That little blighter did it."

Harry's annoyance just added to Fred's amusement and he clutched at his twin to steady himself.

**"Not here," Harry hissed, trying to escape.**

**"Stay still!" grunted the dwarf, grabbing hold of Harry's bag and pulling him back.**

By this point even the adults were looking amused.

"You've gotta admit mate," Ron said trying to catch his breath. "If it wouldn't have been you, you would've found it extremely hilarious."

**"Let me go!" Harry snarled, tugging.**

**With a loud ripping noise, his bag split in two. His books, wand, parchment and quill spilled onto the floor and his ink bottles smashed over the lot.**

"If that wouldn't have happened, I never would've found out how to work the diary," Harry whispered to Ron and Hermione.

**Harry scrambled around trying to pick it all up before the dwarf started singing, causing something of a hold-up in the corridor.**

**"What's going on here?" came the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.**

"Of course." Several people groaned.

"It's like he knows where you are at all times," Fred said, he stopped laughing long enough to shoot a glare at the Malfoy heir.

"No, it's more like he knows when something embarrassing is about to happen to Harry," George corrected.

**Harry started stuffing everything feverishly into his ripped bag, desperate to get away before Malfoy could hear his musical Valentine.**

Draco smirked. "You weren't fast enough Potter."

"Shove off Malfoy," Harry said glaring at the Slytherin.

The adults just looked at each other in resignation.

**"What's all this commotion?" said another familiar voice, as Percy Weasley arrived.**

"Great," Tonks moaned. "Just what Harry needed."

**Losing his head, Harry tried to make a run for it, but the dwarf seized him around the knees and brought him crashing to the floor.**

"Oi!" Half of Gryffindor yelled.

"It's just a bloody valentines," Charlie said angrily. "No need to get violent about it."

**"Right," he said, sitting on Harry's ankles. "Here is your singing Valentine:**

The twins started laughing again.

**His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,**

**His hair is as dark as a blackboard.**

**I wish he was mine, he's really divine,**

**The hero who conquered the Dark Lord**

Everyone in the hall except for Harry and the adults burst into laughter, although some of the adults looked like they wanted to join in.

"That was horrible," Romilda giggled.

**Harry would have given all the gold in Gringotts to evaporate on the spot.**

"It's not funny," Harry grumbled.

"Yes it is." Fred, George and Lee said together.

**Trying valiantly to laugh along with everyone else, he got up, his feet numb from the weight of the dwarf, as Percy Weasley did his best to disperse the crowd, some of whom were crying with mirth. "Off you go, off you go, the bell rang five minutes ago, off to class, now," he said, shooing some of the younger students away.**

**"And you, Malfoy-"**

**Harry, glancing over, saw Malfoy stoop and snatch up something. Leering, he showed it to Crabbe and Goyle, and Harry realized that he'd got Riddle's diary.**

"You should've let the git keep it," Ron muttered. "Maybe Malfoy would've been taken down into the chamber instead of Ginny."

"Ron," Hermione hissed quietly. "That's a horrible thing to say."

"So?" Ron shrugged. "Better him than my sister."

**"Give that back," he said quietly.**

**"Wonder what Potter's written in this?" said Malfoy, who obviously hadn't noticed the year on the cover, and thought he had Harry's own diary.**

"I don't picture Harry writing in a diary," Daphne said.

"I obviously didn't know that did I Greengrass?" Draco snapped.

"Leave her alone Malfoy," Harry said annoyed.

Draco looked like he was going to say something but stopped at all of the glares he was receiving, no one had forgotten what he had said about Hermione.

**A hush fell over the onlookers. Ginny was staring from the diary to Harry, looking terrified.**

**Moody and Remus both perked up at that sentence.**

_'Why would the Weasley girl look terrified about that diary?'_ Moody asked himself. _'Unless the girl knew what it was...she must be the one who tried to dispose of it.'_

 _'Ginny must know about the diary.'_ Remus thought. _'Was Ginny the one who tried to throw away the diary?'_

 _'I never noticed that.'_ Harry thought, mentally slapping himself.

**"Hand it over, Malfoy," said Percy sternly.**

**"When I've had a look," said Malfoy, waving the diary tauntingly at Harry.**

Snape sent a stern look at his godson. This isn't at all what Draco said happened that day.

**Percy said, "As a school Prefect -",**

"Oh bloody hell," Fred said exasperated.

"Who cares?" George said in the same tone.

Percy turned red while snickers broke out.

**but Harry had lost his temper. He pulled out his wand and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" and just as Snape had disarmed Lockhart, so Malfoy found the diary shooting out of his hand into the air.**

"That spell always comes in handy," Harry said thinking back to the graveyard.

**Ron, grinning broadly, caught it.**

Ron grinned, remembering the day they went into the chamber and he caught Lockhart's wand.

**"Harry!" said Percy loudly. "No magic in the corridors. I'll have to report this, you know!"**

"Oh come on Percy," Fred groaned.

"Don't be such a prat," George said annoyed.

"The stupid git was stealing his stuff," Fred said.

Percy wanted to say something about the rules, but then it dawned on him that the twins actually said something to him. Knowing that he was going to apologize when he could, and not wanting his family to get even more mad at him, he held his tongue.

**But Harry didn't care, he'd got one over Malfoy, and that was worth five points from Gryffindor any day.**

"It is." Most of Gryffindor said.

The adults exchanged looks.

"We really need to do something about this Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry," Sprout said to McGonagall.

"I agree Pomona," McGonagall said.

**Malfoy was looking furious, and as Ginny passed him to enter her classroom, he yelled spitefully after her, "I don't think Potter liked your Valentine much!"**

All of the Weasley boys, Percy included glared at Draco.

"Was it your valentine?" Parvarti.

Ginny who was bright red nodded.

**Ginny covered her face with her hands and ran into class. Snarling, Ron pulled out his wand, too, but Harry pulled him away. Ron didn't need to spend the whole of Charms belching slugs.**

"Thanks mate," Ron said. "I really wouldn't have wanted to puke up slugs again."

**It wasn't until they had reached Professor Flitwick's class that Harry noticed something rather odd about Riddle's diary. All his other books were drenched in scarlet ink. The diary, however, was as clean as it had been before the ink bottle had smashed all over it.**

Everyone in the hall looked confused.

"That doesn't make sense," Lisa frowned.

"How's that possible?" Su Li asked.

**He tried to point this out to Ron, but Ron was having trouble with his wand again; large purple bubbles were blossoming out of the end, and he wasn't much interested in anything else.**

The younger students were giggling while the adults frowned.

"That really was dangerous to keep using that wand," Bill told his youngest brother.

"I know," Ron sighed.

**Harry went to bed before anyone else in his dormitory that night. This was partly because he didn't think he could stand Fred and George singing, "His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad", one more time,**

Alicia, Katie and Angelina each smacked the twins on the back off their heads.

"Oi!" Fred and George shouted. "We had requests for that!"

Ron snorted. "Yeah, from each other."

Fred and George grinned.

"It's a catchy tune," George said cheekily.

Harry rolled his eyes.

**and partly because he wanted to examine Riddle's diary again, and knew that Ron thought he was wasting his time.**

"I still would've helped you," Ron said.

"I know," Harry assured him before leaning over to whisper. "It's probably a good thing that you weren't with me, Riddle might not have responded if I was with someone."

"Fair point," Ron whispered back.

**Harry sat on his four-poster and flicked through the blank pages, not one of which had a trace of scarlet on it. Then he pulled a new bottle out of his bedside cabinet, dipped his quill into it, and dropped a blot onto the first page of the diary.**

**The ink shone brightly on the page for a second and then, as though it was being sucked into the page, vanished. Excited, Harry loaded up his quill a second time and wrote, "My name is Harry Potter."**

The hall groaned as one.

"Potter!" Moody barked. "You don't giving out information like that to the enemy!"

"The enemy?" Tonks asked amused. "It's a diary."

"We'll see Nymphadora," Moody grunted.

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks yelled as her head turned red.

**The words shone momentarily on the page and they too sank without trace. Then, at last, something happened.**

Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.

**Oozing back out of the page, in his very own ink, came words Harry had never written.**

**"Hello, Harry Potter. My name is Tom Riddle. How did you come by my Diary?"**

Most of the hall looked flabbergasted, except for Moody who was looking at Tonks with an 'I told you so' expression.

"You were saying?" Moody asked.

Tonks glared at her mentor before looking back at the book.

Snape's eyes had widened, but everyone was too busy staring at the book to notice. _'Whatever the Dark Lord did to that book must be the darkest of dark magic.'_

"How's that possible?" Ernie asked after getting over his shock.

"A book shouldn't be able to do that," Padma said wearily.

Remus sighed. "And now you're going to talk to it."

**"Someone tried to flush it down a toilet."**

Harry, Ron and Hermione snorted.

"I'm sure he loved hearing that," Ron said trying not to laugh. "All his hard work being flushed down the toilet."

"Cute Ronald," Hermione said trying to sound stern, but her lips were twitching.

**He waited eagerly for Riddle's reply.**

**"Lucky that I recorded my memories in some more lasting way than ink. But I always knew that there would be those who would not want this diary read."**

"For a very good reason," Harry muttered angrily.

Andrew Kirke who had heard Harry asked, "Why?"

**"What do you mean?" Harry scrawled, blotting the page in his excitement.**

**"I mean that this diary holds memories of terrible things. Things which were covered up. Things which happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."**

"Is he talking about the chamber?" Dennis asked.

**"That's where I am now," Harry wrote quickly. "I'm at Hogwarts, and horrible stuff's been happening. Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"**

**His heart was hammering. Riddle's reply came quickly, his writing becoming untidier, as though he was hurrying to tell all he knew.**

"That should've been the first clue," Harry said quietly to his best friends.

**"Of course I know about the Chamber of Secrets. In my day, they told us it was a legend, that it did not exist. But this was a lie. In my fifth year, the Chamber was opened and the monster attacked several students, finally killing one. I caught the person who'd opened the Chamber and he was expelled. But the Headmaster, Professor Dippet, ashamed that such a thing had happened at Hogwarts, forbade me to tell the truth.**

"He sounds like Fudge," Hermione said quietly.

**A story was given that the girl had died in a freak accident. They gave me a nice, shiny, engraved trophy for my trouble and warned me to keep my mouth shut. But I knew it could happen again. The monster lived on, and the one who had the power to release it was not imprisoned."**

"Why wasn't the person imprisoned?" Kingsley demanded. "If a student was murdered the aurors wouldn't of let them go."

"There was no proof," Dumbledore sighed, he looked his many years. "What they thought was the monster had escaped. I'm sure you will all find out the rest by the end of this book."

**Harry nearly upset his ink bottle in his hurry to write back.**

"I was finally getting answers," Harry said. "I hate being kept in the dark about things that concern me." As he said this he looked at the headmaster, who still refused to look at him.

**"It's happening again now. There have been three attacks and no one seems to know who's behind them. Who was it last time?"**

**"I can show you if you like," came Riddle's reply. "You don't have to take my word for it. I can take you inside my memory of the night when I caught him."**

"This is a book," Bill said slowly. "It shouldn't be able to do that."

"I really don't like the sound of this," Molly said looking worried.

"Neither do I." All of the adults with the exception of Umbridge and Snape said, even Fudge didn't like the sound of it.

"Please tell me you don't?" Remus asked, Harry could see the desperate plea in his eyes and he quickly looked away.

**Harry hesitated, his quill suspended over the diary. What did Riddle mean? How could he be taken into someone else's memory?**

**He glanced nervously at the door to the dormitory, which was growing dark. When he looked back at the diary, he saw fresh words forming.**

**"Let me show you."**

"He's pushy," Moody said staring at the book suspiciously.

**Harry paused for a fraction of a second and then wrote two letters.**

**"OK."**

Everyone either sighed or groaned.

"Idiot," Draco sneered.

"I was twelve!" Harry yelled in his defense, but even he had to admit that going into the memory was a stupid idea.

**The pages of the diary began to blow as though caught in a high wind, stopping halfway through the month of June. Mouth hanging open, Harry saw that the little square for June the thirteenth seemed to have turned into a minuscule television screen.**

The purebloods looked confused.

"What's a television screen?" Tracey asked.

Hermione quickly explained what a television was, some of the purebloods looked interested, then Romilda continued to read.

**His hands trembling slightly, he raised the book to press his eye against the little window, and before he knew what was happening, he was tilting forwards; the window was widening, he felt his body leave his bed and he was pitched headfirst through the opening in the page, into a whirl of color and shadow.**

"The book is a pensieve?" Several of the older students asked.

"Not exactly," Dumbledore said.

**He felt his feet hit solid ground, and stood, shaking, as the blurred shapes around him came suddenly into focus.**

**He knew immediately where he was. This circular room with the sleeping portraits was Dumbledore's office - but it wasn't Dumbledore who was sitting behind the desk.**

**A wizened, frail-looking wizard, bald except for a few wisps of white hair, was reading a letter be candlelight. Harry had never seen this man before.**

**"I'm sorry," he said shakily, "I didn't mean to butt in ..."**

"It was the first time I'd ever been in a memory," Harry said quickly to all the amused looks he was receiving. "I didn't know that he couldn't hear me."

**But the wizard didn't look up. He continued to read, frowning slightly.**

**Harry drew nearer to his desk and stammered, "Er - I'll just go, shall I?"**

**Still the wizard ignored him. He didn't seem to have heard him.**

**Thinking that the wizard might be deaf, Harry raised his voice.**

**"Sorry I disturbed you, I'll go now," he half-shouted.**

Fred and George broke into laughter, they only stopped when they realized that all of the adults were giving them stern looks, and they decided that they should stop before they get detention. Dumbledore said they couldn't get detention for anything anyone did in the books, not for things they do during the reading.

**The wizard folded up the letter with a sigh, stood up, walked past Harry without glancing at him and went to draw the curtains at his window.**

**The sky outside the window was ruby red; it seemed to be sunset. The wizard went back to the desk, sat down and twiddled his thumbs, watching the door.**

**Harry looked round the office. No Fawkes the phoenix- no whirring silver contraptions. This was Hogwarts as Riddle had known it, meaning that this unknown wizard was the Headmaster, not Dumbledore, and he, Harry, was little more than a phantom, completely invisible to the people of fifty years ago.**

"Took you long enough to figure out," Pansy said in a silky voice that reminded Harry of Umbridge.

"He already said that it was his first time in a memory," Daphne said condescendingly. "Were you not listening?"

"Shut up Greengrass," Pansy snapped.

Daphne smiled sweetly. "Is that the best you can come back with Parkinson?"

Pansy just glared and Daphne laughed softly.

Harry couldn't help but think that she had a cute laugh, he shook his head. _'What am I thinking? I like Cho. Don't I?'_

**There was a knock on the office door.**

**"Enter," said the old wizard in a feeble voice.**

**A boy of about sixteen entered, taking off his pointed hat. A silver prefect's badge was glinting on his chest. He was much taller than Harry, but he, too, had jet-black hair.**

Harry blanched, remembering all the similarities between him and Voldemort. _'I'm nothing like him.'_ Harry thought fiercely. _'I have people I love and care about, people I'd die for. Voldemort has no one, no one except for a bunch of prejudice murderers.'_

**"Ah, Riddle," said the Headmaster.**

**"You wanted to see me, Professor Dippet?" said Riddle. He looked nervous.**

Harry rolled his eyes. "He wasn't nervous, it was all just an act."

Everyone looked at him. How would he know that it was just an act?

**"Sit down," said Dippet. "I've just been reading the letter you sent me."**

**"Oh," said Riddle. He sat down, gripping his hands together very tightly.**

**"My dear boy," said Dippet kindly, "I cannot possibly let you stay at school over the summer. Surely you want to go home for the holidays?"**

**"No," said Riddle at once, "I'd much rather stay at Hogwarts than go back to that - to that-"**

**"You live in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?" said Dippet curiously.**

"Are muggle orphanages really that bad?" Euan asked.

"I don't know," Harry shrugged.

"They aren't all bad," Hermione said. "They're mostly just overcrowded and under funded."

**"Yes, sir," said Riddle, reddening slightly.**

**"You are Muggle-born?"**

**"Half-blood, sir," said Riddle. "Muggle father, witch mother."**

"Remember that as well," Harry said loudly.

Everyone sent him strange looks but kept quiet.

**"And are both your parents -?"**

**"My mother died just after I was born, sir. They told me at the orphanage she lived just long enough to name me: Tom after my father, Marvolo after my grandfather."**

**Dippet clicked his tongue sympathetically.** **"The thing is, Tom," he sighed, "special arrangements might have been made for you, but in the current circumstances..."**

"If he wouldn't have released the monster he might've been able to stay," Harry muttered.

"It's his own fault," Hermione told him. "He had no one to blame but himself."

**"You mean all these attacks, sir?" said Riddle, and Harry's heart leapt, and he moved closer, scared of missing anything.**

**"Precisely." said the Headmaster. "My dear boy, you must see how foolish it would be of me to allow you to remain at the castle when term ends. Particularly in light of the recent tragedy... the death of that poor little girl ... You will be safer by far at your orphanage.**

"He was never in any danger," Harry scoffed quietly.

**As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Magic is even now talking about closing the school. We are no nearer locating the - er - source of all this unpleasantness ..."**

**"Oh ... yeah." But his eyes shifted from side to side as though disappointed in a strange way.**

"He's trying to find a way to turn things in his favor," Harry muttered to himself.

**Riddle's eyes widened.** **"Sir - if the person was caught... If it all stopped..."**

"Does he know who's behind the attacks?" Su Li asked.

"If he did," Mandy said. "Why wouldn't he have told the headmaster sooner?"

"Maybe he wasn't sure," Lisa suggested.

**"What do you mean?" said Dippet, with a squeak in his voice, sitting up in his chair. "Riddle, do you mean you know something about these attacks?"**

**"No, sir," said Riddle quickly.** **But Harry was sure it was the same kind of 'no' that he himself had given Dumbledore.**

Harry once more blanched.

Hermione noticed and squeezed his hand. "You're nothing like him Harry," she told him quietly. "And you never will be."

**Dippet sank back, looking faintly disappointed.**

**"You may go, Tom..."**

**Riddle slid off his chair and stumped out of the room. Harry followed him.**

**Down the moving spiral staircase they went, emerging next to the gargoyle in the darkening corridor. Riddle stopped dead, and so did Harry, watching him. Harry could tell that Riddle was doing some serious thinking. He was biting his lip, his forehead furrowed.**

"He was going some quick thinking," Harry once again muttered to himself.

**Then, as though he had suddenly reached a decision, he hurried off,**

The trio glared at the book, knowing just what that decision was.

**Harry gliding noiselessly behind him. They didn't see another person until they reached the Entrance Hall, when a tall wizard with long, sweeping auburn hair and beard called to Riddle from the marble staircase.**

**"What are you doing, wandering around this late, Tom?"**

**Harry gaped at the wizard. He was none other than a fifty-year-younger Dumbledore.**

"It's hard to imagine a younger Dumbledore," Jimmy Peakes said.

"It's hard to imagine a Dumbledore with red hair," George said trying to lighten the mood.

A few weak chuckles were heard.

**"I had to see the Headmaster, sir," said Riddle.**

**"Well, hurry off to bed," said Dumbledore, giving Riddle exactly the kind of penetrating stare Harry knew so well. "Best not to roam the corridors these days. Not since..."**

**He sighed heavily, bade Riddle goodnight and strode off. Riddle watched him walk out of sight and then, moving quickly, headed straight down the stone steps to the dungeons, with Harry in hot pursuit.**

**But to Harry's disappointment, Riddle led him not into a hidden passageway or a secret tunnel but the very dudgeon in which Harry had Potions with Snape.**

"That dungeons bloody evil," Ron grumbled.

**The torches hadn't been lit, and when Riddle pushed the door almost closed, Harry could only just see Riddle, standing stock-still by the door, watching the passage outside.**

**It felt to Harry that they were there for at least an hour. All he could see was the figure of Riddle at the door, staring through the crack, waiting like a statue. And just when Harry had stopped feeling expectant and tense, and started wishing he could return to the present, he heard something move beyond the door.**

Everyone in the hall tensed.

**Someone was creeping along the passage. He heard whoever it was pass the dungeon where he and Riddle were hidden. Riddle, quiet as a shadow, edged through the door and followed, Harry tiptoeing behind him, forgetting that he couldn't be heard.**

**For perhaps five minutes they followed the footsteps, until Riddle stopped suddenly, his head inclined in the direction of new noises.**

**Harry heard a door creak open, and then someone speaking in a hoarse whisper.**

**"C'mon... gotta get yeh outta here... c'mon now... in the box..."**

**There was something familiar about that voice.**

Several quick looks were sent towards Hagrid, but knowing wanted to say anything until they knew for sure.

**Riddle suddenly jumped around the corner. Harry stepped out behind him.**

**He could see the dark outline of a huge boy who was crouching in front of an open door, a very large box next to it.**

**"Evening, Rubeus," said Riddle sharply.**

"Hagrid!" Everyone in the hall who hadn't known yelled.

"He opened the chamber?" A first year Hufflepuff yelled.

"No way is he the heir of Slytherin," Draco sneered.

Umbridge was sporting a triumphant look on her face.

"Everybody shut up!" Harry yelled standing up. Everyone turned to look at him, the adults looked shocked. "Hagrid didn't open the Chamber of Secrets. Stop pointing fingers at him, because he didn't do it, he was set up. Just listen to the book and you'll understand." Harry sat back down and everyone was silent for a moment, Hagrid smiled at his favorite Gryffindor.

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall said sternly. "I understand that you want to stick up for your friend, but in the future I would advise you to go about it in a different manner."

"Yes Professor," Harry said sheepishly.

 _'The little brat gets away with everything.'_ Umbridge thought as she seethed. _'He could commit murder and they would all think he was a good little boy. I'll make them see the truth.'_

**The boy slammed the boy shut and stood up.**

**"What yer doin' down here, Tom?"**

**Riddle stepped closer.**

**"It's all over," he said. "I'm going to have to turn you in, Rubeus. They're talking about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don't stop."**

"I can't believe he's going to blame an innocent student," Charlie said glaring at the book.

"He was desperate, I understand how he felt about not wanting Hogwarts to close," Harry said solemnly, not liking that, that was another he and Voldemort had in common.

"That's different Harry," Hermione said gently. "You would never put the blame onto an innocent person."

**"What d'yeh-"**

**"I don't think you meant to kill anyone. But monsters don't make good pets. I suppose you just let it out for exercise and-"**

"If you think about it, Hagrid was the perfect scapegoat," Hermione whispered sadly. "Everyone knows about his fondness for dangerous creatures, I'm sure they even knew back then."

"They did," Harry whispered. "Riddle told me in the chamber."

**"It never killed no one!" said the large boy, backing against the closed door. From behind him, Harry could hear a funny rustling and clicking.**

**"Come on, Rubeus," said Riddle, moving yet closer. "The dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow. The least Hogwarts can do is make sure that the think that killed their daughter is slaughtered..."**

"Too bad that wasn't what killed her," Hermione said through gritted teeth.

**"It wasn' him!" roared the boy, his voice echoing in the dark passage. "He wouldn'! He never!"**

Harry snorted and said quietly, "Yes he would." Thinking back to Aragog. _'But Hagrid would never set him loose on anyone.'_

**"Stand aside," said Riddle, drawing out his wand.**

**His spell lit the corridor with a sudden flaming light. The door behind the large boy flew open with such a force it knocked him into the wall opposite. And out of it came something that made Harry let out a long, piercing scream no one but he seemed to hear.**

**A vast, low-slung, hairy body and a tangle of black legs; a gleam of many eyes and a pair of razor-sharp pincers-**

"A spider?" Several people asked.

Ron had stiffened and turned white remembering that particular spider.

"A spider can't petrify!" Charlie screamed in outrage. "The headmaster at the time actually bought that?"

"Unfortunately yes," Dumbledore said sadly.

**Riddle raised his wand again, but he was too late.**

**The thing bowled him over as it scuttled away, tearing up the corridor and out of sight. Riddle scrambled to his feet, looking after it; he raised his wand, but the huge boy leapt on him, seized his wand and threw him back down, yelling, "NOOOOOOO!"**

**The scene whirled, the darkness became complete, Harry felt himself falling and, with a crash, he landed spread-eagled on his four-poster in the Gryffindor dormitory, Riddle's diary lying open on his stomach.**

"I'm glad you're finally out of there," Molly said looking relieved.

**Before he had time to regain his breath, the dormitory door opened and Ron came in.**

**"There you are," he said.**

**Harry sat up. He was sweating and shaking.**

**"What's up?" said Ron, looking at him with concern.**

**"It was Hagrid, Ron. Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago."**

"You actually believed that Hagrid would do that?" Charlie asked looking angry.

"No!" Harry said quickly. "I knew Hagrid would never mean to hurt anyone. I was confused after coming out of the memory, but I never thought he killed anyone."

"That's the end of the chapter," Romilda said closing the book. "Who wants it next?"

Everyone was looking at the book wearily. Dumbledore levitated the book to himself and he opened the book. When he read the chapter title his eyes twinkled.

"Cornelius," Dumbledore said looking at the minister. "Would you care to read the next chapter?"

Fudge looked at the book apprehensively before he levitated it into his hand. "Very well."


	14. Cornelius Fudge

**"Cornelius Fudge."** Fudge read out then furrowed his brows.

"I don't recall meeting Mr. Potter until the summer before his third year," Fudge frowned.

"What does the minister have to do with anything?" Charlie asked.

Harry and Ron exchanged looks. "You'll see." They both said.

Charlie groaned. "All you guys ever say is, we'll see."

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione had always known that Hagrid had an unfortunate liking for large and monstrous creatures. During their first year at Hogwarts he had tried to raise a dragon in his little wooden house,**

"I really didn't need to be reminded of that," Molly frowned.

"You think it's Hagrid-" Charlie began.

Harry sighed then cut Charlie off. "No I didn't," Charlie went to protest but Harry continued. "You'll see my thoughts if you let the minister continue to read."

**and it would be a long time before they forgot the giant, three-headed dog he'd christened "Fluffy."**

"When you look at it like that," Justin said. "It kind of looks like he could've released a monster." When he noticed the glares from the Gryffindor table he hurried on. "Not that I think he did it! I'm just saying."

**And if, as a boy, Hagrid had heard that a monster was hidden somewhere in the castle, Harry was sure he'd have gone to any lengths for a glimpse of it.**

Hagrid looked sheepish, knowing that he would've done just that.

**He'd probably thought it was a shame that the monster had been cooped up so long, and thought it deserved the chance to stretch its many legs; Harry could just imagine the thirteen-year-old Hagrid trying to fit a leash and collar on it.**

"Harry," Ron moaned. "I hate your bloody imagination." He shivered. "I don't want to ever imagine Aragog on a leash."

"Who's Aragog?" Neville asked.

Ron shook his head so fast Harry thought it was going to come off. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"It's uh important," Harry told Neville. "So I'm sure it'll be in the book."

**But he was equally certain that Hagrid would never have meant to kill anybody.**

"See," Harry said with a pointed look at Charlie. "I didn't think Hagrid would hurt anyone."

"No, I know that Hagrid would never of meant to, but I can easily see it as being an accident," Bill said slowly shooting an apprehensive look at Charlie. "He doesn't always realize that others are a lot more vulnerable than he is. He can easily control a lot of creatures that most people can't."

Hagrid looked crestfallen. _'I never looked at it like that.'_

 _'That's because he'd a filthy half-breed, who shouldn't be allowed to associate with proper witches and wizards.'_ Umbridge thought as she shot Hagrid a look of loathing.

Harry and Ron exchanged looks, both thinking about Aragog, and wondering what everyone's reactions would be.

**Harry half wished he hadn't found out how to work Riddle's diary. Again and again Ron and Hermione made him recount what he'd seen, until he was heartily sick of telling them and sick of the long, circular conversations that followed.**

"Sorry Harry." Hermione and Ron both said.

Harry shrugged. "It's okay."

" **Riddle might have got the wrong person," said Hermione. "Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people…"**

"There's no might about it," Harry said. "He did get the wrong person and the wrong monster."

"Not that Aragog is exactly innocent," Ron said with a shudder.

" **How many monsters d'you think this place can hold?" Ron asked dully.**

"I take back that statement," Ron said so loudly it was practically a shout. "I really, really, really don't want to know."

Fred and George's eyes lit up like fire works.

Molly noticed and swelled like a bullfrog. "Don't you two even dare think about chasing after dangerous creatures!"

"We would never!" The twins said together.

Everyone sent the twins looks of disbelief.

Once everyone was looking back at the book the twins exchanged sly smiles.

" **We always knew Hagrid had been expelled," said Harry miserably. "And the attacks must've stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have got his award."**

"Did they even question Hagrid?" Tonks asked. "Or did they just take Riddle's word for it?"

Dumbledore looked solemn as he spoke. "Hagrid admitted to having an unusual creature for a pet, and that's all the minister needed to say it was him."

"So they didn't even investigate," Tonks said angrily, it wasn't a question, it was a fact.

"That sounds like the ministry," Charlie said sending a harsh look towards the minister and his undersecretary.

Umbridge scowled at the dragon handler and Fudge looked insulted.

 **Ron tried a different tack.** " **Riddle does sound like Percy — who asked him to squeal on Hagrid, anyway?"**

Percy turned crimson.

"I don't think Percy would try to get an innocent person sent to Azkaban," Bill said slowly.

Percy looked shocked that his brother was sticking up for him, when he hadn't spoken to him in months.

Fred and George snorted.

"No," Fred said in an angry voice, not sounding like his usually jovial self at all. "But he would abandon his family."

Percy felt a great wave of shame and regret wash over him.

" **But the monster had killed someone, Ron," said Hermione.**

" **And Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage if they closed Hogwarts," said Harry. "I don't blame him for wanting to stay here…"**

"I still don't blame him," Harry said even though it pained him greatly to say it. "I understand not wanting to go back to a place where you aren't wanted." He added under his breath so no one could hear him. "Or worse."

Most of the people in the hall sent him pitying looks but he ignored them.

" **You met Hagrid down Knockturn Alley, didn't you, Harry?"**

"If you look hard enough you can find suspicious circumstances to fit any situation," Hermione said in such a Hermione-ish tone that it made Harry and Ron exchange amused smiles.

" **He was buying a Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent," said Harry quickly.**

 _'He could've been lying.'_ Umbridge thought as she glared between the trio and Hagrid. _'I wouldn't put it past the filthy giant.'_

**The three of them fell silent. After a long pause, Hermione voiced the knottiest question of all in a hesitant voice.**

" **Do you think we should go and ask Hagrid about it all?"**

"Absolutely not!" Molly shouted.

"Mum," Ron said wincing at her tone of voice. "This was over two years ago."

" **That'd be a cheerful visit," said Ron. "'Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?'"**

The twins couldn't help but snicker.

"You mean besides himself?" Draco sneered.

Everyone who liked Hagrid glared at the blonde Slytherin, none of the glares were as fierce as the trios.

Hagrid turned red.

"Mr. Malfoy!" McGonagall and Sprout yelled.

**In the end, they decided that they would not say anything to Hagrid unless there was another attack,**

The trio were sent hundreds of exasperated looks.

"What if somebody else had been petrified?" Leanne asked. "Or worse killed? And you could've stopped it by talking to him."

The trio exchanged looks.

Harry sighed. "We didn't think about that. We were just worried about hurting his feelings."

Remus tried to think of how to phrase what he wanted to say, without sounding like he was trying to lecture them. "I understand that, I really do, but next time you should go to an adult with your suspicions. I know that Hagrid would never hurt anyone, but confronting someone who you think is responsible for something like that yourself, or not telling anyone, isn't something you three should get into the habit of doing."

"We know," Hermione said trying to not let the disappointment in his voice bother her.

**and as more and more days went by with no whisper from the disembodied voice, they became hopeful that they would never need to talk to him about why he had been expelled. It was now nearly four months since Justin and Nearly Headless Nick had been Petrified,**

"That's a long time with nothing bad happening," Bill pointed out. "Either the attacker stopped, which I doubt. Got scared which I also doubt. Or the one that's most likely, he or she decided to lure the school into a false sense of security."

"That's why everyone needs to practice CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody yelled, the majority of the hall jumped, although some people were getting used to his outbursts.

**and nearly everybody seemed to think that the attacker, whoever it was, had retired for good. Peeves had finally got bored of his "Oh, Potter, you rotter" song,**

"Thank Merlin," Harry muttered. "I don't know how much longer I would've been able to listen to that."

"I don't know why you don't like it Harry," Fred said his lips twitching.

"Yeah," George said nodding fervently. "I found it to be quite catchy."

Harry rolled his eyes.

**Ernie Macmillan asked Harry quite politely to pass a bucket of leaping toadstools in Herbology one day,**

"You weren't scared he was going to start sprouting fangs?" George asked in a loud mystic voice reminiscent of Trelawney.

"Or that he'd petrify you where you stood?" Fred asked in a spooky tone.

Ernie flushed as the students laughed.

Harry glared at the twins, but if one looked closely they could see his lips twitching.

The adults looked resigned about the twins jokes, except for a few who looked amused.

**and in March several of the Mandrakes threw a loud and raucous party in greenhouse three. This made Professor Sprout very happy.**

"The mandrakes must've spent too much time with the Gryffindors," Lily Moon said.

This elicited laughs from all the tables.

" **The moment they start trying to move into each other's pots, we'll know they're fully mature," she told Harry.**

"I really didn't need to hear that," Romilda said repugnantly.

**"Then we'll be able to revive those poor people in the hospital wing."**

"Thank goodness," Molly said smiling slightly.

**The second years were given something new to think about during their Easter holidays. The time had come to choose their subjects for the third year, a matter that Hermione, at least, took very seriously.**

"Hermione takes everything seriously," Ron pointed out.

Hermione glared at her red headed best friend. "And what's wrong with that Ronald?"

"Nothing!" Ron said quickly throwing his hands up in surrender.

The twins snickered causing Ron to glare at them.

"… **it could affect our whole future," she told Harry and Ron as they pored over lists of new subjects, marking them with checks.**

"It does affect your whole future," Flitwick said.

The first and second years exchanged nervous looks.

"What if we pick the wrong classes?" A first year Hufflepuff whispered to her neighbor.

"You just better hope you don't," her neighbor whispered to her.

" **I just want to give up Potions," said Harry.**

"Potions is an important subject Mr. Potter," McGonagall said frowning. "I understand that you don't like the class, but it is essential especially if you still want to be an auror."

Umbridge made a noise of disbelief in her throat and McGonagall sent her a death glare.

"It's not the subject I don't like," Harry told his head of house. "It's the...atmosphere."

Most of the adults turned to glare at Snape.

"See what your attitude does to your students," Professor Vector hissed so only those at the staff table could hear.

"I will be having words with you later Severus," McGonagall said sharply. "I will not have any of my students giving up a valuable class because you can't get over a stupid school boy grudge."

Snape glared down at the table but said nothing.

" **We can't," said Ron gloomily. "We keep all our old subjects, or I'd've ditched Defense Against the Dark Arts."**

"Mr. Weasley!" "Ronald!"

"You can't drop defense," Molly said sharply. "It's an important class."

Bill snorted. "Haven't you been listening mum? Their first professor had a Dark Lord sticking out of the back of his head, and the one from their second year spent the period making them act out of a fictitious book."

" **But that's very important!" said Hermione, shocked.**

" **Not the way Lockhart teaches it," said Ron. "I haven't learned anything from him except not to set pixies loose."**

"I wish I could've seen that lesson," Fred snickered.

"It would've been the only interesting lesson the git ever taught," George said trying to stifle his laughter.

**Neville Longbottom had been sent letters from all the witches and wizards in his family, all giving him different advice on what to choose. Confused and worried, he sat reading the subject lists with his tongue poking out, asking people whether they thought Arithmancy sounded more difficult than the study of Ancient Runes.**

"Arithmancy." Those who took both Arithmancy and Ancient Runes said.

"They're both difficult in their own way," Hermione told him. "However Ancient Runes is probably the more practical of the two."

"I wish I would've taken ancient runes," Ron said grouchily.

Everyone turned to Ron shocked.

"You want to take Ancient Runes?" Charlie asked incredulously.

"No," Ron said. "But anything would have to be better than Divination."

Parvarti and Lavender looked scandalized while Dean and Harry snickered.

"Honestly Ronald," Hermione said under her breath.

Trelawney glared at Ron, it looked very odd with her large glasses.

**Dean Thomas, who, like Harry, had grown up with Muggles, ended up closing his eyes and jabbing his wand at the list, then picking the subjects it landed on.**

McGonagall pressed her lips into a thin line and gave Dean a stern look. Flitwick and Sprout exchanged exasperated looks while Snape sneered.

"Why isn't advice given to muggleborns?" Harry asked and everyone turned to him. "I know we have meetings in our fifth year about careers and what classes you need for them, but by then it's too late. I didn't even know what Arithmancy was or what all Ancient Runes entailed until part way through our third year when I asked Hermione. We should be told what classes are needed for what jobs, and what exactly we would learn in each class."

The teachers exchanged looks and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled brightly.

"That's a very good idea Harry," Dumbledore said brightly though still not looking at Harry.

"I'm sure we could arrange something like that," Sprout said smiling.

"That would've been helpful," Justin said.

**Hermione took nobody's advice but signed up for everything.**

"That's not possible," Kingsley said. "And even if it was it wouldn't be practical, the work load would be too much."

Hermione sighed. "I know."

**Harry smiled grimly to himself at the thought of what Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would say if he tried to discuss his career in wizardry with them.**

Harry chuckled humorlessly. "They would look at me like I'd lost my mind, before yelling at me to get lost."

Many people glowered at the book at the mention of the Dursley's and the careless way in which Harry spoke of his treatment by them.

**Not that he didn't get any guidance: Percy Weasley was eager to share his experience.**

Fred and George snorted and rolled their eyes.

"Of course he was." The twins said together.

Percy turned red.

"I'm sure your brother was only trying to help Harry," Arthur said.

" **Depends where you want to go, Harry," he said. "It's never too early to think about the future, so I'd recommend Divination.**

Charlie and Bill looked oddly at their brother.

Forgetting for a moment that he was mad at his brother Charlie asked, "You actually recommended he take that joke of a class?"

Percy turned even redder and looked down at the table.

**People say Muggle Studies is a soft option,**

Professor Burbage made a noise in her throat and those who took muggle studies glared at the book.

"It's not a soft option," a sixth year Gryffindor who took the subject protested. "It's good to have a thorough understanding of the muggle world."

**but I personally think wizards should have a thorough understanding of the non-magical community,**

"Exactly," the same Gryffindor said nodding her head.

**particularly if they're thinking of working in close contact with them — look at my father, he has to deal with Muggle business all the time. My brother Charlie was always more of an outdoor type, so he went for Care of Magical Creatures. Play to your strengths, Harry."**

"That's actually good advice," Charlie admitted.

"Did you play to your strengths Harry?" Arthur asked honestly wanting to know.

Harry looked sheepish. "Not exactly."

**But the only thing Harry felt he was really good at was Quidditch.**

"That's not true!" Many people yelled all at once.

"Mr. Potter you are good at many different things," McGonagall said earnestly.

"You're very good in my lessons Mr. Potter," Flitwick assured him.

"You would also do a lot better if you spent more time studying," Hermione said gently, when he gave her an annoyed look she went on. "I'm not trying to be rude Harry! I'm just telling you that you have so much potential. You're the best in defense, you could easily be at the top in every class if you put more effort and time into your work."

"It's sort of hard with a psychopathic maniac after my blood," Harry said in a dead voice so quiet only Hermione and Ron could hear.

"He won't always be around Harry," Hermione whispered to him, her voice full of conviction. "You'll stop him, I know you will."

Harry squeezed her hand. "Thanks Mione...I just wish I felt as confident about it as you."

Hermione frowned and Ron shot his best friend a sympathetic look.

**In the end, he chose the same new subjects as Ron, feeling that if he was lousy at them, at least he'd have someone friendly to help him.**

"Harry," Remus groaned. "You shouldn't pick certain subjects just because your best friend does."

"I know that now," Harry said. "I didn't know enough about them back then..." He trailed off with a sigh.

"We really should start having meetings with the second years Minerva," Flitwick said quietly.

"I agree," McGonagall said. "I'll speak with Albus about starting that this year."

**Gryffindors next Quidditch match would be against Hufflepuff.**

**Wood was insisting on team practices every night after dinner,**

"Really?" Tonks asked bemused. "Don't you think that's just a little bit excessive?"

"No," Oliver said looking as though anyone who would find that excessive was crazy.

Harry, Fred, George, Alicia, Katie and Angelina all sent Oliver fond looks.

**so that Harry barely had time for anything but Quidditch and homework. However, the training sessions were getting better, or at least drier, and the evening before Saturday's match he went up to his dormitory to drop off his broomstick feeling Gryffindor's chances for the Quidditch cup had never been better.**

Oliver looked grumpy at that last line. "We would've won," he muttered to himself.

Katie patted him on the back. "It's alright Oliver, we won the next year."

This succeeded in perking Oliver slightly up.

**But his cheerful mood didn't last long. At the top of the stairs to the dormitory, he met Neville Longbottom, who was looking frantic.**

"Oh no!" Molly gasped. "Someone else wasn't petrified?"

Hermione blanched. "Not yet."

The hall tensed up as everyone who was at Hogwarts at the time wracked their brains to try to remember what happened.

" **Harry — I don't know who did it — I just found —"**

**Watching Harry fearfully, Neville pushed open the door.**

**The contents of Harry's trunk had been thrown everywhere. His cloak lay ripped on the floor. The bedclothes had been pulled off his four-poster and the drawer had been pulled out of his bedside cabinet, the contents strewn over the mattress.**

"What?" Everyone in the hall including the teachers yelled.

"Mr. Potter!" McGonagall barked. "I don't recall hearing about this, why wasn't it brought to my attention."

Harry fidgeted in his seat. "Only one thing was missing, I didn't think it was that big of a deal."

McGonagall's lips whitened as they thinned. "Next time something like this happens, I want it reported to me immediately."

"Wait," Hannah whispered to Susan. "If his dormitory was trashed, doesn't that mean that a Gryffindor had to do it?"

Susan gasped. "It does...but I don't know why a fellow Gryffindor would...unless...the diary."

"But doesn't that mean that it was a Gryffindor who tried to throw it away?" Ernie who had overheard their conversation asked.

"I think so," Susan said glancing at the Gryffindor table. "I'm sure we'll find out soon."

**Harry walked over to the bed, open-mouthed, treading on a few loose pages of Travels with Trolls. As he and Neville pulled the blankets back onto his bed, Ron, Dean, and Seamus came in. Dean swore loudly.**

" **What happened, Harry?"**

" **No idea," said Harry. But Ron was examining Harry's robes. All the pockets were hanging out.**

"Someone must know that you have the diary," Moody pointed out.

Those who didn't know gasped.

"So a Gryffindor had the diary before Harry?" Parvarti asked looking around at her fellow Gryffindors.

"Apparently," Euan said.

"They've come to the same conclusion we did," Ernie said more to himself than to anyone. "I wonder who it was..."

" **Someone's been looking for something," said Ron. "Is there anything missing?"**

**Harry started to pick up all his things and throw them into his trunk. It was only as he threw the last of the Lockhart books back into it that he realized what wasn't there.**

" **Riddle's diary's gone," he said in an undertone to Ron.**

The hall groaned as one.

"Brilliant," Charlie said as he threw his hands up. "Now something else has that stupid book!"

"Let's hope whoever took it doesn't know how to use it," Justin said.

'Oh she knew how to use it.' Harry thought sending a quick glance towards Ginny.

" **What?"**

**Harry jerked his head toward the dormitory door and Ron followed him out. They hurried down to the Gryffindor common room, which was half-empty, and joined Hermione, who was sitting alone, reading a book called Ancient Runes Made Easy.**

Hermione ignored the amused looks she was getting.

"Of course Granger would start studying for a class she wasn't even in," Pansy sneered to her fellow Slytherins.

"You're just jealous that Hermione is a million times smarter than you'll ever be," Daphne said in a condescending voice.

"Shut up Greengrass," Pansy hissed.

"You really are pathetic at coming up with comebacks," Daphne said slowly as if talking to a two year old.

Daphne's younger sister Astoria broke into giggles at the look on Pansy's face. Pansy sneered and turned back to the book.

**Hermione looked aghast at the news.**

" **But — only a Gryffindor could have stolen — nobody else knows our password —"**

"Someone could've gotten the Gryffindor password?" Jimmy said. "Harry, Ron and Hermione did it to get into the Slytherin common room."

The Slytherins and Snape glared at the trio at the reminder.

"That is true," Charlie said slowly.

" **Exactly," said Harry.**

**They woke the next day to brilliant sunshine and a light, refreshing breeze.**

" **Perfect Quidditch conditions!" said Wood enthusiastically at the Gryffindor table, loading the team's plates with scrambled eggs. "Harry, buck up there, you need a decent breakfast."**

When Harry noticed Madam Pomfrey giving him a disapproving look he quickly protested. "I was eating! It just wasn't enough in Oliver's opinion."

"You know Oliver," Alicia said. "You always told us to eat before the games, but you never ate yourself."

Oliver shrugged as if it was no big deal. "I needed to make sure all of you had eaten."

**Harry had been staring down the packed Gryffindor table, wondering if the new owner of Riddle's diary was right in front of his eyes. Hermione had been urging him to report the robbery, but Harry didn't like the idea. He'd have to tell a teacher all about the diary, and how many people knew why Hagrid had been expelled fifty years ago? He didn't want to be the one who brought it all up again.**

Hagrid smiled at Harry who smiled back.

"That's very commendable Mr. Potter," Sprout said. "However you still should've told someone."

"I know," Harry said trying not to get annoyed that everyone kept repeating the same thing.

**As he left the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione to go and collect his Quidditch things, another very serious worry was added to Harry's growing list. He had just set foot on the marble staircase when he heard it yet again.**

" **Kill this time… let me rip… tear…"**

The hall tensed once more.

"Could you guys hear it?" Arthur asked.

"No." Ron and Hermione both said.

Remus was frowning when it suddenly came to him. _'Of course! How could I be so stupid, Harry is the only one who can hear this voice, and he's the only one who can speak parseltongue. That must mean that the monster is some form of snake. What type of snake petrifies...it also seems to scare the spiders...the clues don't exactly fit.'_

Like Remus, Moody also figured it must be some sort of snake. Everything he'd ever learned about dark creatures was flying through his head.

**He shouted aloud and Ron and Hermione both jumped away from him in alarm.**

" **The voice!" said Harry, -looking over his shoulder. "I just heard it again — didn't you?"**

**Ron shook his head, wide-eyed. Hermione, however, clapped a hand to her forehead.**

"You figured it out?" Charlie asked looking at her.

Hermione nodded and paled. _'I'm about to be petrified.'_

Harry and Ron both realizing what she must be thinking, each grabbed one of her hands.

" **Harry — I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!"** **And she sprinted away, up the stairs.**

"I wish you would've told us what you thought it was," Harry whispered.

"I know," Hermione sighed. "I just wanted to make sure before I told you and got your hopes up."

" **What does she understand?" said Harry distractedly; still looking around, trying to tell where the voice had come from.**

" **Loads more than I do," said Ron, shaking his head.**

"Don't feel bad Ron," Bill told his youngest brother. "Not even Dumbledore knew what the monster was."

" **But why's she got to go to the library?"**

" **Because that's what Hermione does," said Ron, shrugging. "When in doubt, go to the library."**

Fred, George and Lee snickered, effectively loosening some of the tension.

**Harry stood, irresolute, trying to catch the voice again, but people were now emerging from the Great Hall behind him, talking loudly, exiting through the front doors on their way to the Quidditch pitch.**

" **You'd better get moving," said Ron. "It's nearly eleven — the match —"**

"We should've went after you," Harry said feeling guilty.

"It wasn't your fault," Hermione told him.

Harry remembered what Riddle said about why he attacked Hermione. _'You won't be saying that when we read about me in the chamber.'_

**Harry raced up to Gryffindor Tower, collected his Nimbus Two Thousand, and joined the large crowd swarming across the grounds, but his mind was still in the castle along with the bodiless voice, and as he pulled on his scarlet robes in the locker room, his only comfort was that everyone was now outside to watch the game.**

"That's not true," Madam Pince said. "There are always some of the more studious students in the library during the games, if their house isn't playing."

"Mental," Ron shook his head. "Even Hermione goes to all the games."

**The teams walked onto the field to tumultuous applause. Oliver Wood took off for a warm-up flight around the goal posts; Madam Hooch released the balls. The Hufflepuffs, who played in canary yellow, were standing in a huddle, having a last-minute discussion of tactics.**

**Harry was just mounting his broom when Professor McGonagall came half marching, half running across the pitch, carrying an enormous purple megaphone.**

Everyone who wasn't at Hogwarts during Harry's second year tensed.

"What happened?" Dennis asked fearfully. "Does someone else get petrified."

Hermione winced, her best friends tried their best to comfort her.

"Why did you use a megaphone?" Tonks asked. "Why not use the announcers booth or the sonorous charm."

McGonagall rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I was very distraught, I wasn't thinking one hundred percent. I just conjured a megaphone and walked onto the field."

**Harry's heart dropped like a stone.**

" **This match has been cancelled," Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone, addressing the packed stadium. There were boos and shouts. Oliver Wood, looking devastated, landed and ran toward Professor McGonagall without getting off his broomstick.**

" **But, Professor!" he shouted. "We've got to play — the cup —Gryffindor —"**

Oliver was sent many looks of disbelief.

"Some things are more important than quidditch," Leanne said.

Oliver had the decency to look ashamed. "I didn't know that something had happened."

Those who didn't know for sure that someone else had been petrified paled.

"Oh no," a small first year Ravenclaw gasped. "Who was it?"

No one answered so Fudge continued to read.

**Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout through her megaphone:**

" **All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!"**

"It would've been much safer to keep the students on the quidditch pitch," Kingsley said disapprovingly.

"I agree," Moody barked. "You had no idea what the monster was or if it could get into the common rooms."

The teachers looked insulted.

"We were doing what we thought was best to protect the students!" McGonagall protested.

"How is sweeping everything under the rug doing what's best to protect the students?" Moody questioned both his eyes on McGonagall.

"We did no such thing!" McGonagall yelled.

"Then why was the ministry only informed after the last of the attacks?" Moody asked.

McGonagall's lips pressed together to make a straight white line. "We did what we thought was best."

Moody was about to say something so Dumbledore spoke.

"You two can discuss this later," the headmaster said sharply. "Cornelius please continue."

**Then she lowered the megaphone and beckoned Harry over to her.**

" **Potter, I think you'd better come with me…"**

"What?" Remus, Tonks, Bill, Charlie and Molly yelled.

"You can't honestly think it's him?" Charlie demanded.

"No I didn't," McGonagall said tersely. "If you allow the minister to continue I'm sure you'll find out why I called on him."

**Wondering how she could possibly suspect him this time, Harry saw Ron detach himself from the complaining crowd; he came running up to them as they set off toward the castle. To Harry's surprise, Professor McGonagall didn't object.**

Remus raised and eyebrow. _'She didn't? That doesn't sound like the Minerva I know. Unless...'_ He looked at Hermione and paled. _'Oh Merlin...that's why she looks so pale.'_

" **Yes, perhaps you'd better come, too, Weasley…"**

"What's going on?" Tonks frowned.

**Some of the students swarming around them were grumbling about the match being canceled; others looked worried.**

"We had no idea what was happening," Susan said angrily.

"Do you know how horrible it is to know that something big is happening but no one will tell you anything?" Justin asked.

"Yes," Harry said bitterly under his breath thinking about the past summer.

"You really should've at least told them something," Amelia said looking at the staff intently. "It could've helped calmed them down."

**Harry and Ron followed Professor McGonagall back into the school and up the marble staircase. But they weren't taken to anybody's office this time.**

" **This will be a bit of a shock," said Professor McGonagall in a surprisingly gentle voice as they approached the infirmary. "There has been another attack… another double attack."**

"I have a bad feeling about this," Fleur said faintly to her boyfriend.

Bill grabbed his hand and looked at the pale trio. "So do I."

**Harry's insides did a horrible somersault. Professor McGonagall pushed the door open and he and Ron entered… Madam Pomfrey was bending over a fifth-year girl with long, curly hair.**

Percy looked down sadly at the mention of his ex-girlfriend.

"Who is it?" Dennis asked.

"Penelope Clearwater," Hermione said in a carrying voice.

"Oh no!" Molly gasped, her hands going up to her mouth. "Percy never told us."

**Harry recognized her as the Ravenclaw they'd accidentally asked for directions to the Slytherin common room.**

**And on the bed next to her was —**

Harry and Ron squeezed Hermione's hands tightly.

" **Hermione!" Ron groaned.**

**Hermione lay utterly still, her eyes open and glassy.**

The first, second and third years gasped.

"But she's so nice!" A Gryffindor first year yelled. "Why would anyone want to petrify her?"

Hermione smiled at the little first year, tears were brimming in her eyes.

"It's okay Hermione," Harry said soothingly.

"Hermione," Molly said faintly. "You were petrified?"

Tonks, Kingsley, Remus, Bill, Charlie, Molly and Arthur all looked sick.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Tonks asked her hair turning black.

Hermione shrugged as a tear fell down her cheek. "It's in the past."

Fudge awkwardly cleared his throat and resumed reading.

" **They were found near the library," said Professor McGonagall. "I don't suppose either of you can explain this? It was on the floor next to them…"**

**She was holding up a small, circular mirror.**

"A mirror?" Michael asked. "Why's that important?"

Those who heard him shrugged.

**Harry and Ron shook their heads, both staring at Hermione.**

" **I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower," said Professor McGonagall heavily. "I need to address the students in any case."**

" **All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities."**

"That's horrible," Tonks said sadly. "That doesn't sound like Hogwarts at all."

The teachers exchanged sad looks.

"We didn't like keeping them stuck in their common rooms," Sprout said despairingly. "We had no other choice, we had to keep them safe."

 **The Gryffindors packed inside the common room listened to Professor McGonagall in silence. She rolled up the parchment from which she had been reading and said in a somewhat choked voice,** " **I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."**

Everyone in the hall turned to the trio.

"We had nothing that would've helped," Harry said quickly.

"Hermione was the one who knew who what the monster was," Ron pointed out. "And she was petrified."

**She climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the portrait hole, and the Gryffindors began talking immediately.**

" **That's two Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw, and one Hufflepuff, " said the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan, counting on his fingers. "Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe?**

The adults sighed. When would the students get over house prejudices?

"Don't blame us!" Graham snapped.

"What did you expect us to think?" Cormac asked. "None of the Slytherins had been attacked."

"Do you honestly think that the monster could tell what house someone was in?" Urquhart sneered.

"No," Zacharias sneered back. "But whoever was controlling it sure as hell could!"

"Why you-" Urquhart began but McGonagall cut him off.

"That's enough!" McGonagall barked. "If we continue in this manner, we'll never finish this book."

Harry wanted to say that she was just arguing a second ago with Moody, but she looked like she was about to breathe fire so he decided to keep his mouth shut.

**Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin — why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?" he roared, to nods and scattered applause.**

"Mob mentality," Remus sighed. "That's not good."

"Kicking the Slytherins out wouldn't have helped," Harry muttered to himself.

**Percy Weasley was sitting in a chair behind Lee, but for once he didn't seem keen to make his views heard. He was looking pale and stunned.**

" **Percy's in shock," George told Harry quietly. "That Ravenclaw girl — Penelope Clearwater — she's a prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a prefect."**

Percy glared at George.

"What was I supposed to think?" George defended himself. "You never told us that she was your girlfriend."

"Why would I?" Percy sniffed. "You and Fred would only mock me about it."

George knew he was going to say something he was going to regret so he turned away.

When George turned away Percy internally sighed. _'I need to make up with them...before it's too late. Maybe if I just talk to them after this book...'_

**But Harry was only half-listening. He didn't seem to be able to get rid of the picture of Hermione, lying on the hospital bed as though carved out of stone.**

"It was one of the worst moments of my life," Harry said honestly.

"Mine too," Ron told Hermione.

Hermione gave them both a small smile.

**And if the culprit wasn't caught soon, he was looking at a lifetime back with the Dursleys.**

"I wouldn't wish that on anyone," Harry said.

**Tom Riddle had turned Hagrid in because he was faced with the prospect of a Muggle orphanage if the school closed. Harry now knew exactly how he had felt.**

"I hate having something in common with that bastard," Harry hissed quietly.

"Harry," Hermione said to get his attention. "I've already told you, you are nothing at all like him."

" **What're we going to do?" said Ron quietly in Harry's ear. "D'you think they suspect Hagrid?"**

"They better not," Charlie growled.

" **We've got to go and talk to him," said Harry, making up his mind. "I can't believe it's him this time, but if he set the monster loose last time he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that's a start."**

"I can't believe we thought Hagrid would know," Ron whispered to Harry and Hermione.

"We had no reason not to trust the diary," Harry told him.

" **But McGonagall said we've got to stay in our tower unless we're in class —"**

"You actually listened?" Dean asked.

"It's odd," Neville said. "First Hermione wants to break the rules, and now Ron wants to follow them."

Harry looked amused while Hermione and Ron glared at Neville.

" **I think," said Harry, more quietly still, "it's time to get my dad's old cloak out again."**

The adults sent stern looks or glares at the headmaster.

"I still can't believe you gave him that," Snape hissed.

Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard. _'The next educational decree with prohibit the use of invisibility cloaks.'_ She smiled widely as she made herself a memo.

**Harry had inherited just one thing from his father: a long and silvery Invisibility Cloak. It was their only chance of sneaking out of the school to visit Hagrid without anyone knowing about it. They went to bed at the usual time, waited until Neville, Dean, and Seamus had stopped discussing the Chamber of Secrets and finally fallen asleep, then got up, dressed again, and threw the cloak over themselves.**

**The journey through the dark and deserted castle corridors wasn't enjoyable. Harry, who had wandered the castle at night several times before, had never seen it so crowded after sunset. Teachers, prefects, and ghosts were marching the corridors in pairs, staring around for any unusual activity.**

"All of those people were patrolling?" Tonks asked.

"Yeah," Harry said wondering where this was going.

"Yet the two of you still managed to get out to Hagrid's hut?" Tonks questioned.

"Yes," Ron said.

"Impressive," Moody said nodding his scarred head.

"Alastor!" The adults yelled.

"Do not encourage them!" McGonagall scolded the grizzled old auror.

**Their Invisibility Cloak didn't stop them making any noise,**

"I wish it did," Harry said.

Remus chuckled. "When your father and I were at Hogwarts we wished the same thing."

**and there was a particularly tense moment when Ron stubbed his toe only yards from the spot where Snape stood standing guard. Thankfully, Snape sneezed at almost exactly the moment Ron swore.**

The hall broke into hysterics as Snape sent Harry and Ron his best death glare.

"That's priceless!" George said between bouts of laughter.

"Only you would get that lucky," Neville said chuckling.

"We really were lucky that night," Harry pointed out.

**It was with relief that they reached the oak front doors and eased them open.**

"The front doors were unlocked?" Amelia asked incredulously. "How is that safe?"

The teachers exchanged looks causing Amelia to frown.

**It was a clear, starry night. They hurried toward the lit windows of Hagrid's house and pulled off the cloak only when they were right outside his front door.**

**Seconds after they had knocked, Hagrid flung it open. They found themselves face-to-face with him aiming a crossbow at them.**

"What?" The adults yelled.

"You pointed a crossbow at them?" Molly demanded.

"I wasn't expecting them," Hagrid said turning red.

Umbridge sneered. "Barbaric."

Hermione glared at Umbridge. "He was just trying to protect himself."

Umbridge ignored Hermione, instead she began once more writing on her clipboard.

Ron joined Hermione in glaring at Umbridge. "I want to take that bloody clipboard and shove it up her-"

"Ronald!" Hermione screeched.

Everyone turned to look at the two Gryffindors.

"Sorry." They both said quickly to all the odd looks they were receiving.

**Fang the boar hound barked loudly behind him.**

" **Oh," he said, lowering the weapon and staring at them. "What're you two doin' here?"**

" **What's that for?" said Harry, pointing at the crossbow as they stepped inside.**

" **Nothin' — nothin' —" Hagrid muttered. "I've bin expectin' — doesn' matter — Sit down — I'll make tea —"**

"Who's he been expecting?" Dennis asked.

"Probably nobody friendly," Colin told his brother.

"You can say that again," Ron muttered.

**He hardly seemed to know what he was doing. He nearly extinguished the fire, spilling water from the kettle on it, and then smashed the teapot with a nervous jerk of his massive hand.**

"Poor Hagrid." The girls who like him said.

"He must be really worried," Padma frowned.

" **Are you okay, Hagrid?" said Harry. "Did you hear about Hermione?"**

" **Oh, I heard, all righ'," said Hagrid, a slight break in his voice.**

"Thanks Hagrid," Hermione said.

"Of course Hermione," Hagrid boomed. "I was really worried to hear about you being petrified."

Hermione gave him a kind smile.

**He kept glancing nervously at the windows. He poured them both large mugs of boiling water (he had forgotten to add tea bags) and was just putting a slab of fruitcake on a plate when there was a loud knock on the door.**

"Who would be knocking on his door this time of night?" Tonks asked.

"No one good," Harry said shooting a look at the minister.

Fudge frowned as he read this. _'This wasn't the night I came to take him to Azkaban was it?'_

**Hagrid dropped the fruitcake. Harry and Ron exchanged panic stricken looks, then threw the Invisibility Cloak back over themselves and retreated into a corner. Hagrid checked that they were hidden, seized his crossbow, and flung open his door once more.**

"Even though I don't agree with you boys being there," Molly said frowning. "I'm glad he at least made sure you were covered before opening the door."

" **Good evening, Hagrid."**

**It was Dumbledore. He entered, looking deadly serious, and was followed by a second, very odd-looking man.**

**The stranger had rumpled gray hair and an anxious expression, and was wearing a strange mixture of clothes: a pinstriped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak, and pointed purple boots. Under his arm he carried a lime-green bowler.**

The students in the hall laughed at the minister's description, Umbridge glared at the students.

Fudge spluttered. "You two were there?"

Harry and Ron looked sheepish as they both answered. "Yes."

" **That's Dad's boss!" Ron breathed. "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!"**

**Harry elbowed Ron hard to make him shut up.**

"Foolish!" Moody barked. "You're in a tiny cabin, you're lucky you weren't heard!"

Ron turned red.

**Hagrid had gone pale and sweaty. He dropped into one of his chairs and looked from Dumbledore to Cornelius Fudge.**

" **Bad business, Hagrid," said Fudge in rather clipped tones. "Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggleborns. Things've gone far enough. Ministry's got to act."**

"The ministry should've acted sooner," Molly said sending a sharp look at the ministry employees.

"The ministry wasn't aware at first Molly," Kingsley said, you could tell by his tone that he didn't agree with them not knowing.

" **I never," said Hagrid, looking imploringly at Dumbledore. "You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir —"**

"Wait," Neville said. "They aren't going to arrest Hagrid?"

Those who liked Hagrid looked horrified.

"You can't send him to Azkaban!" Susan exclaimed.

"Is that why he wasn't there for awhile at the end of the year?" Hannah asked.

"Yes," Harry said as he glared daggers at Fudge.

 _'It wouldn't be the first time the ministry sent an innocent man to Azkaban.'_ Sirius thought bitterly.

" **I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence," said Dumbledore, frowning at Fudge.**

"But you're the Supreme Mugwump," Bill said suddenly. "Surely you could've done something?"

"Unfortunately no," Dumbledore said sadly. "I don't have the final say in who gets arrested."

"Madam Bones agreed with the arrest?" Charlie asked.

"I certainly did not!" Amelia said insulted. "I would never of authorized an arrest without proof. The minister went to Hogwarts without my knowledge."

Everyone turned to the minister who was red and ignoring everyone's stares.

"I...I'll um...I'm going to continue reading," Fudge said almost incoherently.

" **Look, Albus," said Fudge, uncomfortably. "Hagrid's record's against him. Ministry's got to do something — the school governors have been in touch —"**

"I'm sure it was just one school governor," Ron muttered glaring at Draco.

" **Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest," said Dumbledore. His blue eyes were full of a fire Harry had never seen before.**

" **Look at it from my point of view," said Fudge, fidgeting with his bowler. "I'm under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen to be doing something.**

The students ether snorted or glared at Fudge.

"Got to be seen doing something?" Hermione screeched. "That's horrible! Did you even care about sending an innocent man to Azkaban? No! All you cared about was what it made you look like! It's just like what you're doing now with Voldemort!"

Everyone gasped as Harry looked at his best friend in pride.

"How dare you!" Umbridge yelled. "Mr. Potter is filling all of your heads with lies! And how dare you speak to the minister in that way! You must treat him with respect!"

"I'll treat him when respect when he earns it!" Hermione hissed successfully shocking the hall.

Before the argument could escalate further Dumbledore spoke. "Why don't we continue with the reading, it's getting late. After this chapter we will all go get some sleep."

Umbridge looked at Dumbledore with eyes full of loathing but said nothing and Hermione turned back to her friends.

Fred and George both gave Hermione a thumbs up.

**If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him. Got to. Wouldn't be doing my duty —"**

"It's your duty to ensure that the right person goes to jail," Harry ground out through gritted teeth.

" **Take me?" said Hagrid, who was trembling. "Take me where?"**

" **For a short stretch only," said Fudge, not meeting Hagrid's eyes. "Not a punishment, Hagrid, more a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be let out with a full apology —"**

"Just thinking about going there is a punishment!" Tonks yelled. "How could you send an innocent man there!"

"The ministry really does need to build prison cells outside of Azkaban," Kingsley said. "At least until we know for sure whether or not a person is guilty."

"I'll look into that," Amelia said. "I think that would be a great idea."

" **Not Azkaban?" croaked Hagrid.**

**Before Fudge could answer, there was another loud rap on the door.**

**Dumbledore answered it. It was Harry's turn for an elbow in the ribs; he'd let out an audible gasp.**

"Who is it?" Bill asked already dreading the answer.

**Mr. Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid's hut, swathed in a long black traveling cloak, smiling a cold and satisfied smile.**

"And I thought things couldn't get any worse," Charlie growled.

"What the hell is he doing there?" Tonks asked.

"Probably come to gloat," Bill said.

**Fang started to growl.**

"Good judge of character," Lee said airily.

Those who heard his comment snorted.

" **Already here, Fudge," he said approvingly. "Good, good…"**

" **What're you doin' here?" said Hagrid furiously. "Get outta my house!"**

"You tell him Hagrid!" Fred and George cheered.

" **My dear man, please believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your — er — d'you call this a house?" said Lucius Malfoy, sneering as he looked around the small cabin.**

Those who like Hagrid glared at the book.

"Just because he isn't rich doesn't mean that he's a bad person," Charlie snapped.

"That man is horrible," Hannah said.

Draco glared at the Hufflepuff.

**"I simply called at the school and was told that the headmaster was here."**

"This can't be good," Fleur said.

" **And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?" said Dumbledore. He spoke politely, but the fire was still blazing in his blue eyes.**

" **Dreadful thing, Dumbledore," said Malfoy lazily, taking out a long roll of parchment, "but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside.**

"I'm sure they do," Charlie rolled his eyes. "It's more like he threatened all of them into signing."

Draco, Umbridge and Fudge glared at the dragon handler.

"Lucius Malfoy is a good man," Umbridge simpered.

"Yeah and I'm bloody Merlin," Harry muttered.

**This is an Order of Suspension — you'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn't it?**

"Like he cares," Ron spat to Harry. "He would've loved it if everyone in the school but the Slytherins would've been attacked."

"He's good at pretending," Harry told him.

**At this rate, there'll be no Muggleborns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school."**

Three fourths of the hall snorted.

"You can practically hear the sarcasm in that statement," Terry said.

" **Oh, now, see here, Lucius," said Fudge, looking alarmed, "Dumbledore suspended — no, no — last thing we want just now."**

"That's surprising," whispered Hermione. "Since he's spent the past six months trying to get Dumbledore fired."

"I'm more surprised that he's actually standing up to Mr. Malfoy," Harry whispered back.

" **The appointment — or suspension — of the headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy smoothly. "And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks —"**

"Like you could've done any better," Tonks snapped.

" **See here, Malfoy, if Dumbledore can't stop them," said Fudge, whose upper lip was sweating now, "I mean to say, who can?"**

Ron and Hermione sent looks at Harry which thankfully for him no one noticed.

"That's true," Arthur said. "If Albus couldn't have stopped the attacks, it isn't likely that someone else would be able to."

"Not necessarily," Dumbledore said eyes twinkling once more.

" **That remains to be seen," said Mr. Malfoy with a nasty smile. "But as all twelve of us have voted —"**

 **Hagrid leapt to his feet, his shaggy black head grazing the ceiling.** " **An' how many did yeh have ter threaten an' blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?" he roared.**

"That sounds about right." Several people muttered.

Draco glared in the direction he heard the mutterings come from.

" **Dear, dear, you know, that temper of yours will lead you into trouble one of these days, Hagrid," said Mr. Malfoy. "I would advise you not to shout at the Azkaban guards like that. They won't like it at all."**

"That's horrible!" Susan gasped. "How could he say that to someone."

"Because he's evil," Ron suggested casually ignoring the stern looks from some of the adults.

" **Yeh can' take Dumbledore!" yelled Hagrid, making Fang the boar hound cower and whimper in his basket. "Take him away, an' the Muggleborns won' stand a chance! There'll be killin' next!"**

"Thankfully that didn't happen," Sprout said.

"Not that Riddle didn't try," Harry mumbled looking at Ginny.

" **Calm yourself, Hagrid," said Dumbledore sharply. He looked at Lucius Malfoy.** " **If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside —"**

"You're not even going to fight it?" Tonks asked incredulously.

"I didn't see a reason to," Dumbledore said solemnly. "If I tried to fight them, they would've just used it as an excuse to remove me permanently. I thought that the school would be better off in the long run if I stepped down quietly."

 _'If only you'd do that now.'_ Umbridge thought.

" **But —" stuttered Fudge.**

" **No!" growled Hagrid.**

**Dumbledore had not taken his bright blue eyes off Lucius Malfoy's cold gray ones.**

" **However," said Dumbledore, speaking very slowly and clearly so that none of them could miss a word, "you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me… Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."**

**For a second, Harry was almost sure Dumbledore's eyes flickered toward the corner where he and Ron were hidden.**

"You knew they were there!" Most of the adults shouted.

"You sound like you're encouraging them," Remus frowned.

"He better not have been!" Molly snapped.

"Although what you said wasn't very specific," Charlie said looking thoughtful.

"I was merely trying to make them feel better," Dumbledore said. "I also wanted them to go to the staff with what I thought they would learn."

Moody and Remus both watched Dumbledore very closely as he spoke.

" **Admirable sentiments," said Malfoy, bowing. "We shall all miss your — er — highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope your successor will manage to prevent any — ah — killins."**

"Now he goes and mocks Hagrid!" Hermione huffed.

**He strode to the cabin door, opened it, and bowed Dumbledore out. Fudge, fiddling with his bowler, waited for Hagrid to go ahead of him, but Hagrid stood his ground, took a deep breath, and said carefully, "If anyone wanted ter find out some stuff, all they'd have ter do would be ter follow the spiders. That'd lead 'em right. That's all I'm sayin'."**

"That one's make more sense," Charlie said. "You want them to follow the spider...but the thing it spiders can't talk...unless..." Charlie paled and he quickly turned to look and Harry and Ron. "Please tell me you didn't?"

Harry and Ron exchanged looks before looking at Charlie and saying nothing.

"Oh Merlin," Charlie said paling.

"What?" Molly asked beginning to look frantic.

"Nothing mum, it's nothing," Charlie said quickly.

Bill looked questioningly at his brother but Charlie just shook his head.

**Fudge stared at him in amazement.**

_'I thought he had gone mental.'_ Fudge thought before continuing on.

" **All right, I'm comin', said Hagrid, pulling on his moleskin overcoat. But as he was about to follow Fudge through the door, he stopped again and said loudly, "An' someone'll need ter feed Fang while I'm away."**

"Only Hagrid," Hermione said fondly. "He's on his way to Azkaban and he still thinks about his pet."

"It's because he has a good heart," Harry said.

Umbridge sneered as Hagrid blushed.

**The door banged shut and Ron pulled off the Invisibility Cloak.**

" **We're in trouble now," Ron said hoarsely. "No Dumbledore. They might as well close the school tonight. There'll be an attack a day with him gone."**

**Fang started howling, scratching at the closed door.**

"That's the end," Fudge said as he closed the book and quickly pushed it away.

Dumbledore stood up. "That's all we will read today, we'll finish this book tomorrow before beginning on Mr Potters third year. You're all dismissed."

As they all stood up Harry noticed Percy looking at his parents with an expression of deep guilt, but mixed in was shame, as he moved with Ron and Hermione towards the doors of the Great Hall, Harry wondered what it would take for Percy to swallow his pride and admit he was wrong.


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning everyone entered the great hall ready to read the rest of the book on Harry's second year. Most of the people in the hall were feeling excited, but also a little frightened about what they might read next.

Several questions were on everyone's mind. Do Harry and Ron follow the spiders? What is the monster in the Chamber of Secrets? Who was behind opening the chamber?

Even the Slytherins were wondering what would happen next, although those like Draco would never admit it.

The only people who seemed to genuinely not want to read anymore about Harry's life were Snape and Ginny.

Snape didn't want to read anymore because he didn't want to see Harry as anything other than the arrogant spawn of James Potter. He sat eating his breakfast and staring at Harry out of the corner of his eye. _'The more we read the more he seems to be like Lily. But that's not possible...if that's true, I've spent the last four and a half years being cruel to an innocent child, and for that Lily would never forgive me.'_

Ginny sat staring blankly at the plate in front of her. _'Everyone will soon find out that I opened the chamber, everyone is going to hate me.'_

"I can't wait to find out what the monster is," Anthony said to his friends.

"I don't think I want to know what the monster is," Hannah said. "I want to know what finally stopped the attacks...but I don't want to read about the monster, because if we read about it, it means that Harry has to face it."

"I didn't think about that," Anthony frowned.

Over at the Ravenclaw table, a different discussion was going on.

"Did any of you figure out what the monster was?" Terry asked.

His friends all shook their heads no.

"I went through all the snakes I know of and none of them petrifies," Kevin said stabbing his eggs.

The Slytherins were all wondering if they would hear more about the chamber.

"I wonder if Harry went down into the chamber," Tracey said.

"I hope not," Daphne said. "After everything we read about him going through last year, he doesn't need to do something dangerous again."

"The attacks did stop soon after Dumbledore stepped down," Tracey reminded her. "Someone had to do it, with Dumbledore being gone, as hard as it is to believe it was probably Harry who stopped it."

Daphne looked over at the Gryffindor table. "I don't see how he could've stopped the attacks, none of the staff could, yet a twelve-year-old boy could? It doesn't make any sense."

Tracey shrugged. "Surviving the killing curse also doesn't make sense."

Daphne sighed. "I guess you're right."

Once everyone was done eating Dumbledore stood up. "We will continue reading about Mr Potter's second year." He opened up the book and looked at the chapter title, his eyes twinkled. "Would you like to read Hagrid?"

"Of course Professor Dumbledore," Hagrid said as he grabbed the book.

Umbridge sneered as Hagrid began to read.

Hagrid looked at the title and smiled. **"Aragog."**

Ron paled and shuddered while Harry groaned.

"What's Aragog?" Neville asked.

"My worst nightmare," Ron muttered.

The Weasley's exchanged worried looks.

**Summer was creeping over the grounds around the castle; sky and lake alike turned periwinkle blue and flowers large as cabbages burst into bloom in the greenhouses.**

"Hogwarts is really beautiful in the summer," Hannah said.

**But with no Hagrid visible from the castle windows, striding the grounds with Fang at his heels, the scene didn't look right to Harry;**

Hagrid blushed. "Thanks, Harry."

"Of course," Harry said smiling at his large friend.

Umbridge glared at Harry. _'Hogwarts would be much better off without the filthy half-breed and his giant mutt.'_

**no better, in fact, than the inside of the castle, where things were so horribly wrong.**

"Nothing dangerous!" Harry said quickly when the adults started to look worried. "It was just horribly depressing."

"It was," Padma sighed. "The second year really was the worst."

Nobody who was at Hogwarts during Harry's second year disagreed.

**Harry and Ron had tried to visit Hermione, but visitors were now barred from the hospital wing.**

"Thank you for trying," Hermione told her best friends.

"No problem," Ron assured her.

"We didn't want you to be alone," Harry said. "Even though we didn't think you would be able to hear us."

"I couldn't," Hermione sighed. "I remember seeing big yellow eyes, then the next thing I know I'm waking up in the infirmary."

Charlie looked thoughtful. _'What monster has big yellow eyes and can petrify?'_

" **We're taking no more chances," Madam Pomfrey told them severely through a crack in the infirmary door. "No, I'm sorry, there's every chance the attacker might come back to finish these people off…"**

"Was that a possibility?" Molly asked worriedly.

"There was a slight chance it was possible," Pomfrey said frowning. "We didn't want to take the chance."

"Why didn't you send the petrified victims to St Mungo's?" Arthur asked.

"We thought it would be best to keep them at the school," Pomfrey said defensively. "It wouldn't have helped them to be sent to St Mungo's since the hospital doesn't keep the mandrake restorative draught on hand. The potion is only good for a short period of time, even with a stasis charm."

**With Dumbledore gone, fear had spread as never before, so that the sun warming the castle walls outside seemed to stop at the mullioned windows. There was barely a face to be seen in the school that didn't look worried and tense, and any laughter that rang through the corridors sounded shrill and unnatural and was quickly stifled.**

The adults all looked pained.

"Hogwarts should never be like that," Tonks stated.

"Not even Fred and George were making jokes," Alicia said.

"Hermione had been petrified and we didn't know if someone else we cared about would be the next victim," Fred said unusually grim.

"And we didn't want to make things worse," George added. "Believe it or not, we do know when to not make a joke."

 _'I highly doubt those heathens know when to not make a joke.'_ Umbridge thought as she glared at the twins. _' Those two are almost as bad as Potter.'_

**Harry constantly repeated Dumbledore's final words to himself, "I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me… Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." But what good were these words? Who exactly were they supposed to ask for help, when everyone was just as confused and scared as they were?**

"You were scared?" Neville asked in surprise.

"Of course I was," Harry said shocked that anyone would think he hadn't been. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know..." Neville said tingeing pink from all the looks he was receiving. "You just seem so much braver than everyone else."

"Just because I'm brave, it doesn't mean I don't get scared too," Harry assured him.

**Hagrid's hint about the spiders was far easier to understand. The trouble was, there didn't seem to be a single spider left in the castle to follow.**

"You probably just weren't looking closely enough," Morag said. "This castle is full of spiders."

"Well spiders are tiny," Su Li pointed out. "He might've just overlooked them."

"I wish he had," Ron muttered.

**Harry looked everywhere he went, helped (rather reluctantly) by Ron.**

Ron gave an involuntary shudder.

Fred and George noticed and exchange a look. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to always tease him about that particular fear of his, they both thought as they watched their brother.

**They were hampered, of course, by the fact that they weren't allowed to wander off on their own but had to move around the castle in a pack with the other Gryffindors. Most of their fellow students seemed glad that they were being shepherded from class to class by teachers, but Harry found it very irksome.**

"Excuse me, Mr Potter?" McGonagall demanded. "What exactly was irksome about us trying to protect the students?"

"I'm not saying there was anything wrong with it!" Harry quickly said. "I just meant it got annoying having to always walk around in groups, we couldn't even use the bathroom by ourselves."

"It was for your own safety," McGonagall said in a slightly less harsh tone.

Harry fidgeted. "I know."

**One person, however, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere of terror and suspicion.**

"Let me guess?" Tracey said looking at her fellow Slytherin. "You?"

Draco sneered as everyone else in the hall took that to mean yes.

**Draco Malfoy was strutting around the school as though he had just been appointed Head Boy.**

"Of course he was," Susan said.

"I wish someone would knock him off his high horse," Justin muttered.

**Harry didn't realize what he was so pleased about until the Potions lesson about two weeks after Dumbledore and Hagrid had left, when, sitting right behind Malfoy, Harry overheard him gloating to Crabbe and Goyle.**

"Why would you sit behind Malfoy?" Dean asked incredulously.

"I got there late," Harry shrugged. "There was nowhere else to sit."

" **I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore," he said, not troubling to keep his voice down.** " **I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst headmaster the school's ever had.**

Those who liked Dumbledore glared at the blonde Slytherin.

"He most certainly is not," McGonagall said icily.

"Do you ever say what you think?" Hermione asked.

"Excuse me?" Draco asked pompously.

"Well, you're always either saying my father says this or my father thinks that," Hermione said. "Do you ever say what you think?"

Draco's cheeks tinged pink and he said nothing.

**Maybe we'll get a decent headmaster now. Someone who won't want the Chamber of Secrets closed.**

"How could anyone say something like that?" Sally-Anne demanded.

"No headmaster would want the chamber open," Michael said hotly. "Unless that headmaster was You-Know-Who."

Draco's cheeks which were still pink from Hermione's comment turned pinker.

**McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in…"**

**Snape swept past Harry, making no comment about Hermione's empty seat and cauldron.**

"What exactly was I suppose to say, Mr Potter?" Snape asked, but it lacked its usual rude tone. "Ms Granger wasn't the only student who was petrified. I saw no reason to point out the fact that she was in the hospital wing."

"Did Snape just say something to Harry without sounding like a giant git?" Dean whispered to Seamus.

Seamus was staring at their potions professor. "I think so."

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling. _'There seems to be hope for Severus and Harry after all.'_

" **Sir," said Malfoy loudly. "Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?"**

Three-fourths of the students groaned.

"I would transfer to Beauxbatons if Snape became headmaster," Lavender said to Parvarti.

Umbridge looked scandalized that anyone would suggest Snape become headmaster. _'That man headmaster? I don't think so.'_

" **Now, now, Malfoy," said Snape, though he couldn't suppress a thin-lipped smile.**

"You'd want to be headmaster Severus?" McGonagall asked quietly.

"I can barely stand teaching the little brats," Snape sneered. "Why would I want to be responsible for all of them?"

McGonagall gave Snape a hard look. "There's no need to speak about the students in that way Severus."

**"Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I dare say he'll be back with us soon enough."**

" **Yeah, right," said Malfoy, smirking. "I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job— I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir —"**

"I'm surprised Mr Malfoy hasn't used his influence with the ministry or threatened the school governors into appointing Snape as headmaster," Harry whispered to Ron and Hermione.

**Snape smirked as he swept off around the dungeon, fortunately not spotting Seamus Finnigan, who was pretending to vomit into his cauldron.**

The students snickered and Dean gave Seamus a high five.

"You're lucky I didn't see that Mr Finnigan," Snape said silkily.

" **I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now," Malfoy went on. "Bet you five Galleons the next one dies. Pity, it wasn't Granger —"**

Almost everyone in the hall was glaring at Draco, even a lot of the Slytherins, especially the younger ones.

Harry and Ron quickly grabbed one of Hermione's hands as she tensed up.

"I'm going to kill him," Ron growled.

"It's fine Ron," Hermione said quietly.

Ron ignored her and continued to send death glares at the young Malfoy heir.

**The bell rang at that moment, which was lucky; at Malfoy's last words, Ron had leapt off his stool, and in the scramble to collect bags and books, his attempts to reach Malfoy went unnoticed.**

"Go Ronnikins!" George and Fred shouted.

"Thanks, Ron," Hermione said with a small smile.

The teachers looked like they wanted to say something but after what Draco said they couldn't blame him, well all except for one.

"Fighting is not tolerated at Hogwarts Mr Weasley," Umbridge simpered.

"He was only defended his friend," Tonks snapped.

"Auror Tonks I would watch my mouth if I were you," Umbridge said with a sickly smile that showed her pointed teeth.

Tonks' hair turned red along with her cheeks.

"Madam Umbridge Tonks is my Auror," Amelia said glaring at the undersecretary. "I would advise you not to tell her what to do."

Umbridge spluttered and turned to Fudge.

"Not now Delores," Fudge hissed eyeing Amelia.

" **Let me at him," Ron growled as Harry and Dean hung onto his arms. "I don't care, I don't need my wand, I'm going to kill him with my bare hands —"**

"Oh Ron," Molly whispered to herself.

"He called Hermione that horrible word one too many times," Ron said angrily. "I don't regret trying to punch him."

"Malfoy was being really horrible Mrs. Weasley," Harry told her. "Not that it's okay to hit someone, but I felt like punching him too. I just knew it'd be best not to hit him during potions."

"Are you saying you would've let Ron hit him or done it yourself outside of class?" Molly frowned.

Harry didn't say anything and Molly sighed.

"I can't believe you said that in front of mum," Charlie said shaking his head.

"I can't believe he said that in front of mum and he's still alive," Fred amended to his twin.

" **Hurry up, I've got to take you all to Herbology," barked Snape over the class's heads, and off they marched, with Harry, Ron, and Dean bringing up the rear, Ron still trying to get loose. It was only safe to let go of him when Snape had seen them out of the castle and they were making their way across the vegetable patch toward the greenhouses.**

**The Herbology class was very subdued; there were now two missing from their number, Justin and Hermione.**

"It was horrible," Susan said sadly.

"Professor Sprout would ask a question and she'd look around for Hermione," Harry said downcast. "Then she'd start to tear up."

"She'd also tear up when she'd look at Justin's empty seat," Ernie said looking at his best friend.

Sprout's eyes had tears in them now. "It was horrible." She shook her head sadly. "I'd never felt so...useless."

**Professor Sprout set them all to work pruning the Abyssinian Shrivelfigs. Harry went to tip an armful of withered stalks onto the compost heap and found himself face-to-face with Ernie Macmillan. Ernie took a deep breath and said, very formally, "I just want to say, Harry, that I'm sorry I ever suspected you. I know you'd never attack Hermione Granger, and I apologize for all the stuff I said. We're all in the same boat now, and, well —"**

**He held out a pudgy hand, and Harry shook it.**

Ernie smiled at Harry who smiled back.

"You forgive way too easily," Andrew Kirke said.

"I see no point in holding a grudge," Harry shrugged. "He apologized and it seemed like he meant it, I saw no reason not to forgive him."

"Such a sweet boy," Molly said to her husband.

**Ernie and his friend Hannah came to work at the same Shrivelfig as Harry and Ron.**

" **That Draco Malfoy character," said Ernie, breaking off dead twigs, "he seems very pleased about all this, doesn't he? D'you know, I think he might be Slytherin's heir."**

Ernie turned red as everyone looked at him amused.

"Why does everyone suspect me?" Draco asked annoyed.

"Oh I don't know," Daphne drawled in an impression of Draco. "Maybe because you go around calling muggle-borns that horrid word and wishing death upon your fellow students."

Draco glared at the blonde girl and she just smiled back sweetly.

" **That's clever of you," said Ron, who didn't seem to have forgiven Ernie as readily as Harry.**

"Sorry about that," Ron said sheepishly. "I was mad that you had accused my best mate."

"It's alright," Ernie assured him. "I would be mad if someone accused Justin of something like that."

" **Do you think it's Malfoy, Harry?" Ernie asked.**

" **No," said Harry, so firmly that Ernie and Hannah stared.**

Moody made a noise that sounded like a groan. "Potter! You can't sound so confident that he isn't the heir, it makes you seem like you know something you shouldn't."

"I was twelve," Harry once again used as his defence.

**A second later, Harry spotted something.**

**Several large spiders were scuttling over the ground on the other side of the glass, moving in an unnaturally straight line as though taking the shortest route to a prearranged meeting.**

Odd looks were cast at the book.

"That's odd," Anthony said looking curiously at the book.

**Harry hit Ron over the hand with his pruning shears.**

"Harry," Hermione chided.

"Sorry mate," Harry said sheepishly.

"It's okay," Ron assured him.

" **Ouch! What're you —"**

**Harry pointed out the spiders, following their progress with his eyes screwed up against the sun.**

" **Oh, yeah," said Ron, trying, and failing, to look pleased. "But we can't follow them now —"**

"You shouldn't follow them at all," McGonagall said sternly.

"We needed to find answers," Harry told her.

"You should've come to one of us," McGonagall said.

"That didn't work out so well in our first year," Harry said blandly.

McGonagall looked properly ashamed. _'If only I would've taken five minutes to listen to them, they wouldn't be putting themselves in danger again.'_

**Ernie and Hannah were listening curiously.**

Ernie and Hannah both had the decency to look sheepish.

**Harry's eyes narrowed as he focused on the spiders. If they pursued their fixed course, there could be no doubt about where they would end up.**

" **Looks like they're heading for the Forbidden Forest…"**

Almost everyone, student and staff member alike groaned.

"You've got to be kidding me?" Bill said exasperated.

"You can't go into the forbidden forest again!" Remus yelled.

A very pale Molly looked like she wanted nothing more than to say something, but apparently the conversation from the previous night was on her mind, so instead, she grabbed her husband's hand.

"I can't believe how much trouble you get up to," McGonagall said looking paler than usual while trying to keep herself calm.

 _'With James Potter for his father how could he not get into trouble.'_ Snape thought, but he too was worried, although he would never admit it out loud.

**And Ron looked even unhappier about that.**

"I don't blame you," Neville said shuddering as he remembered his one trip into the forest.

**At the end of the lesson, Professor Sprout escorted the class to their Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. Harry and Ron lagged behind the others so they could talk out of earshot.**

" **We'll have to use the Invisibility Cloak again," Harry told Ron. "We can take Fang with us. He's used to going into the forest with Hagrid, he might be some help."**

Snorts rang throughout the hall.

"Um isn't Fang a coward?" Demelza asked.

Harry and Ron both fidgeted in their seats.

"Yeah," Harry said awkwardly.

"Then why would you want to take him?" Demelza questioned.

"I don't really know what I was thinking," Harry admitted.

" **Right," said Ron, who was twirling his wand nervously in his fingers. "Er — aren't there — aren't there supposed to be werewolves in the forest?" he added as they took their usual places at the back of Lockhart's classroom.**

"Sorry Remus," Ron said quickly.

Remus waved the apology off. "It's alright Ron, you were a twelve-year-old going into the forbidden forest, I don't blame you for being worried."

**Preferring not to answer that question,**

Fred, George and Lee snorted.

**Harry said, "There are good things in there, too. The centaurs are all right,**

Umbridge glowered at the book. _'Centaurs aren't all right, they're filthy creatures.'_

**and the unicorns…"**

**Ron had never been into the Forbidden Forest before. Harry had entered it only once and had hoped never to do so again.**

"I don't blame you," Ron muttered. "I've only been in there once and I don't ever want to go again."

**Lockhart bounded into the room and the class stared at him. Every other teacher in the place was looking grimmer than usual, but Lockhart appeared nothing short of buoyant.**

Looks of incredulity were sent at the book.

"That man is ridiculous," Tonks said. "How can he be happy when the students he's supposed to be protecting are being petrified?"

" **Come now," he cried, beaming around him. "Why all these long faces?"**

Snorts were heard from the four house tables.

"He didn't seriously just ask that?" Lisa asked incredulously.

**People swapped exasperated looks, but nobody answered.**

"We all thought he was mental for asking that," Dean said.

" **Don't you people realize," said Lockhart, speaking slowly, as though they were all a bit dim,**

Those who had been in that class grumbled.

"He's the dim one," Dean muttered.

**"The danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away —"**

"He believes that Hagrid really did it?" Charlie demanded. "He's even stupider than I thought."

" **Says who?" said Dean Thomas loudly.**

Hagrid beamed at Dean who smiled back.

" **My dear young man, the Minister of Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred per cent sure that he was guilty," said Lockhart, in the tone of someone explaining that one and one made two.**

More snorts were heard.

"Oh, yes he would," Harry said not bothering to lower his voice.

Fudge fidgeted in his seat and Umbridge narrowed her eyes.

" **Oh, yes he would," said Ron, even more loudly than Dean.**

" **I flatter myself I know a touch more about Hagrid's arrest than you do, Mr Weasley," said Lockhart in a self-satisfied tone.**

Chuckles broke out around the hall.

"It would be funny to see his face if you told him you were actually there," Lee said laughing.

"It would've been the highlight of my week to rub it in his face," Ron said wistfully.

**Ron started to say that he didn't think so, somehow, but stopped in mid-sentence when Harry kicked him hard under the desk.**

" **We weren't there, remember?" Harry muttered.**

"You really need to watch what you say, Weasley," Moody barked. "This is the second time in this book alone where you almost gave yourself away."

"Alastor!" McGonagall hissed. "He's a child."

"Doesn't matter," Moody grunted.

**But Lockhart's disgusting cheeriness, his hints that he had always thought Hagrid was no good, his confidence that the whole business was now at an end, irritated Harry so much that he yearned to throw Gadding with Ghouls right in Lockhart's stupid face.**

"I wish you would've." Several of his year mates said.

**Instead, he contented himself with scrawling a note to Ron:** _**Let's do it tonight.** _

The room tensed as everyone began to worry about two twelve-year-old boys going into the forbidden forest alone.

**Ron read the message, swallowed hard, and looked sideways at the empty seat usually filled by Hermione. The sight seemed to stiffen his resolve, and he nodded.**

Hermione gave Ron a dazzling smile. "You were willing to face your greatest fear for me?"

Ron turned bright red. "Of course, I'd do anything for you and Harry, you know that."

"I wish I had friends like that," Mandy said.

"We all do Ms Brocklehurst," Dumbledore said his eyes twinkling.

**The Gryffindor common room was always very crowded these days, because from six o'clock onward the Gryffindors had nowhere else to go. They also had plenty to talk about, with the result that the common room often didn't empty until past midnight.**

"Our common room didn't either," Padma said.

"Even us first years stayed up late," a fourth-year Hufflepuff said.

**Harry went to get the Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk right after dinner and spent the evening sitting on it, waiting for the room to clear. Fred and George challenged Harry and Ron to a few games of Exploding Snap, and Ginny sat watching them, very subdued in Hermione's usual chair.**

**Harry and Ron kept losing on purpose, trying to finish the games quickly, but even so, it was well past midnight when Fred, George, and Ginny finally went to bed.**

"I would apologize for stalling you guys but I don't like the thought of you two going into the forbidden forest, especially not as second years," George said seriously.

Fred nodded in agreement.

Everyone turned to look at the Weasley twins in shock.

"What?" Fred asked. "Just because we're pranksters it doesn't mean we can't be serious."

"We joke around but even we wouldn't go into the forbidden forest at night," George said.

**Harry and Ron waited for the distant sounds of two dormitory doors closing before seizing the cloak, throwing it over themselves, and climbing through the portrait hole.**

**It was another difficult journey through the castle, dodging all the teachers. At last, they reached the entrance hall, slid back the lock on the oak front doors, squeezed between them, trying to stop any creaking, and stepped out into the moonlit grounds.**

"How did no one notice the large front doors opening?" Tonks asked in disbelief.

"I honestly have no idea," McGonagall said.

"Great security," Moody said gruffly.

The teachers all looked embarrassed, except for Snape who sneered.

**"'Course," said Ron abruptly as they strode across the black grass, "we might get to the forest and find there's nothing to follow. Those spiders might not've been going there at all. I know it looked like they were moving in that sort of general direction, but…"** **His voice trailed away hopefully.**

"You're very brave Ronald," Luna's dreamy voice said.

Ron shook his head. "I don't sound very brave."

"Bravery is about facing your fears," Luna said matter of fact. "You're facing your biggest fear willingly, I consider that to be very brave."

"I agree," Bill told his youngest brother.

"Thanks," Ron said.

Harry clapped a crimson Ron on the back.

**They reached Hagrid's house, sad and sorry-looking with its blank windows. When Harry pushed the door open, Fang went mad with joy at the sight of them.**

"Poor Fang," Susan said. "He must've missed Hagrid terribly."

"It's a bloody dog," Pansy sneered.

"Dogs have feelings too," Susan said sharply.

Pansy wanted to say something back but noticed that Amelia was staring sternly at her, even she wasn't stupid enough to yell at the niece of the head of the DMLE in front of her.

**Worried he might wake everyone at the castle with his deep, booming barks, they hastily fed him treacle fudge from a tin on the mantelpiece, which glued his teeth together.**

"Harry!" Hermione scolded glaring at Harry.

Harry shrugged. "He was making too much noise."

"Don't worry Hermione," Hagrid assured her. "It would take more than that to hurt Fang."

That seemed to placate Hermione, for she stopped glaring at Harry.

**Harry left the Invisibility Cloak on Hagrid's table. There would be no need for it in the pitch-dark forest.**

" **C'mon, Fang, we're going for a walk," said Harry, patting his leg, and Fang bounded happily out of the house behind them, dashed to the edge of the forest, and lifted his leg against a large sycamore tree.**

"Ew," Lavender squealed. "Why does the book have to mention that?"

"Honestly," Hermione muttered. "It's a perfectly natural bodily function."

**Harry took out his wand, murmured, "Lumos!" and a tiny light appeared at the end of it, just enough to let them watch the path for signs of spiders.**

"I hope you two were paying attention to your surroundings," Charlie said nervously.

"I don't like the idea of them being in the forest," Bill said resignedly. "But as long as they stay on the path they should be okay."

No one noticed Harry and Ron fidget at Bill's comment.

" **Good thinking," said Ron. "I'd light mine, too, but you know — it'd probably blow up or something…"**

Loud groans echoed around the hall.

"I forgot about your broken wand!" Hannah gasped. "What if something happened? You would've only had one wand between you two."

Harry and Ron exchanged sheepish looks.

"We uh...didn't really think of that," Ron admitted.

"Of course not," Bill said dryly.

**Harry tapped Ron on the shoulder, pointing at the grass. Two solitary spiders were hurrying away from the wand light into the shade of the trees.**

The atmosphere was tense, everyone was wondering what exactly the trail of spiders would lead them to.

Charlie was hoping that he was wrong about what he thought they would find. _'Although there shouldn't be any in the forest in the first place...still...talking spiders can only mean one thing...acromantula.'_

" **Okay," Ron sighed as though resigned to the worst, "I'm ready. Let's go."**

"I so wasn't ready," Ron almost whimpered.

This made everyone tense even more.

**So, with Fang scampering around them, sniffing tree roots and leaves, they entered the forest. By the glow of Harry's wand, they followed the steady trickle of spiders moving along the path. They walked behind them for about twenty minutes,**

"That's a long time," Sprout frowned looking worried. "You two must be very deep."

Molly grabbed her husband's arm in a vice-like grip.

**not speaking, listening hard for noises other than breaking twigs and rustling leaves. Then, when the trees had become thicker than ever,** **so that the stars overhead were no longer visible, and Harry's wand shone alone in the sea of dark, they saw their spider guides leaving the path.**

"Don't follow them!" Hannah squeaked.

"Going off the path is extremely dangerous," Charlie said, his worry increasing.

The teachers who knew of the acromantula colony paled. Snape was holding the arms of his chair so tight his knuckles were white. McGonagall and Sprout looked like they were about to faint. Flitwick was looking at the two Gryffindors worried.

**Harry paused, trying to see where the spiders were going, but everything outside his little sphere of light was pitch-black. He had never been this deep into the forest before.**

"There's a reason for that," Remus said anxiously remembering things he'd seen in the forest. _'I don't like the idea of my cub and Ron in the forest, at least when James, Sirius and I went to the forest we could protect ourselves.'_

**He could vividly remember Hagrid advising him not to leave the forest path last time he'd been in here. But Hagrid was miles away now, probably sitting in a cell in Azkaban, and he had also said to follow the spiders.**

"Maybe you shouldn't listen to Hagrid," Tonks said before adding quickly. "No offence Hagrid."

Hagrid waved the apology off.

"I agree," Molly said, still clutching onto Arthur. "First a dragon and now this." She shook her head as though trying to get the image of her twelve-year-old son and honorary son standing alone and helpless in the forbidden forest.

**Something wet touched Harry's hand and he jumped backwards,**

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Hermione's nails were digging into the back of Harry and Ron's arms.

"Hermione you know what happened," Ron reminded her.

"I know," Hermione said quietly. "It's just worse actually hearing about it."

**crushing Ron's foot, but it was only Fang's nose.**

"Thank Merlin," Parvarti murmured.

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody roared.

"Now isn't the time Alastor!" McGonagall hissed.

" **What d'you reckon?" Harry said to Ron, whose eyes he could just make out, reflecting the light from his wand.**

" **We've come this far," said Ron.**

"That doesn't mean you should leave the path," Charlie said worriedly.

**So they followed the darting shadows of the spiders into the trees. They couldn't move very quickly now; there were tree roots and stumps in their way, barely visible in the near blackness. Harry could feel Fang's hot breath on his hand. More than once, they had to stop, so that Harry could crouch down and find the spiders in the wand light.**

"How could you still be following the same two little spiders?" Megan Jones asked.

"I don't think they were the same ones," Harry told her.

**They walked for what seemed like at least half an hour, their robes snagging on low-slung branches and brambles. After a while, they noticed that the ground seemed to be sloping downward, though the trees were as thick as ever.**

**Then Fang suddenly let loose a great, echoing bark, making both Harry and Ron jump out of their skins.**

"Fang seems more of a hindrance than a help," Tonks said. "This is the second time he's scared the two of you."

"Thinking back I know now we shouldn't have brought him," Harry said.

"You shouldn't have gone at all," Professor Vector said, she may not know the two boys personally but she still cared for their well-being.

" **What?" said Ron loudly, looking around into the pitch-dark, and gripping Harry's elbow very hard.**

"Everyone seems to always grab you in dangerous situations," Dean said. "First Neville and now Ron."

"Harry never seems to be scared," Ron shrugged.

"I get scared," Harry said thinking back to the graveyard. "I just tend not to show it."

" **There's something moving over there," Harry breathed. "Listen… sounds like something big…"**

"So you're just going to stand there listening for it?" Tonks asked incredulously. "You need to get out of there!"

Arthur now had both of his arms wrapped around a whimpering Molly.

**They listened. Some distance to their right, the something big was snapping branches as it carved a path through the trees.**

"Run!" Fred and George yelled worried for their brothers.

Bill kept glancing at Harry and Ron to make sure they were still there.

The first and second years looked terrified.

" **Oh, no," said Ron. "Oh, no, oh, no, oh —"**

Everyone was holding their breath waiting for Hagrid to read out what was near the two boys.

" **Shut up," said Harry frantically. "It'll hear you."**

" **Hear me?" said Ron in an unnaturally high voice. "It's already heard Fang!"**

**The darkness seemed to be pressing on their eyeballs as they stood, terrified, waiting. There was a strange rumbling noise and then silence.**

"That's ominous," Lisa whispered to herself.

" **What d'you think it's doing?" said Harry.**

" **Probably getting ready to pounce," said Ron.**

"Don't say that," Ginny whimpered.

Bill grabbed his sister's hand in one hand and his girlfriends in the other.

**They waited, shivering, hardly daring to move.**

" **D'you think it's gone?" Harry whispered.**

" **Dunno —"**

**Then, to their right, came a sudden blaze of light, so bright in the darkness that both of them flung up their hands to shield their eyes.**

"What?" Several people asked.

"A blaze of light?" Terry asked. "Is another wizard there?"

"Oh I hope it's a professor," Molly begged.

**Fang yelped and tried to run, but got lodged in a tangle of thorns and yelped even louder.**

Hagrid sighed before he continued to read.

" **Harry!" Ron shouted, his voice breaking with relief "Harry, it's our car!"**

There was a moment of silence before the tension loosened slightly as several people chuckled.

"The car you flew to school?" Susan asked incredulously.

"Your car is in the forbidden forest?" Euan asked.

" **What?"**

" **Come on!"**

**Harry blundered after Ron toward the light, stumbling and tripping, and a moment later they had emerged into a clearing.**

**Mr Weasley's car was standing, empty, in the middle of a circle of thick trees under a roof of dense branches, its headlights ablaze. As Ron walked, open-mouthed, toward it, it moved slowly toward him, exactly like a large, turquoise dog greeting its owner.**

"It remembers you?" Charlie asked raising his eyebrows.

"Arthur Weasley," Molly said in a deathly calm voice while enunciating every word slowly. "What did you do to that car?"

Arthur looked completely bewildered. "I honestly have no idea, Molly."

Umbridge's twisted smile that she'd been wearing ever since they began reading about them going into the forest widened. _'I can get Arthur Weasley for this, I can't get him for enchanting the car since he already paid a fine, but he did something funny to that car. All I need to do is find it and he's as good as fired.'_

" **It's been here all the time!" said Ron delightedly, walking around the car. "Look at it. The forest's turned it wild…"**

**The sides of the car were scratched and smeared with mud. Apparently it had taken to trundling around the forest on its own. Fang didn't seem at all keen on it; he kept close to Harry, who could feel him quivering. His breathing slowing down again, Harry stuffed his wand back into his robes.**

"Where's your brain Potter?" Moody yelled. "You never put your wand away when you're in a dangerous situation."

"You shouldn't have done that," Bill said becoming more worried.

" **And we thought it was going to attack us!" said Ron, leaning against the car and patting it. "I wondered where it had gone!"**

"This is exactly why it's against the law to enchant objects," Kingsley said. "You never know exactly how an object will take to becoming enchanted."

Arthur tinged red, which Kingsley noticed causing the auror to send him a friendly nod.

**Harry squinted around on the floodlit ground for signs of more spiders, but they had all scuttled away from the glare of the headlights.**

" **We've lost the trail," he said. "C'mon, let's go and find them."**

"Do you have too?" Neville asked desperately.

**Ron didn't speak. He didn't move. His eyes were fixed on a point some ten feet above the forest floor, right behind Harry. His face was livid with terror.**

Everyone in the hall stopped breathing as they stared at the two boys in horror.

Hermione was cutting off the circulation to Harry and Ron's hands.

"Ten feet above the forest floor?" Arthur asked faintly.

Molly looked ready to pass out.

"What is it?" A first-year Ravenclaw asked fearfully.

"I don't want to know," the first year's friend said.

**Harry didn't even have time to turn around. There was a loud clicking noise and suddenly he felt something long and hairy seize him around the middle and lift him off the ground so that he was hanging face down.**

"What?" Most of the hall shouted.

McGonagall was clutching at her chest. _'I never should've given them a reason not to come to me.'_

"So not good, so not good," Hannah was saying to herself.

"What can just pick you up like that?" Susan said grabbing her best friends hand.

"If it's what I think it is," Charlie said grimacing. "Nothing good."

"What do you think it is?" Bill asked but not really wanting to know the answer.

Charlie shook his head and indicated for Hagrid to continue.

**Struggling, terrified, he heard more clicking, and saw Ron's legs leave the ground, too, heard Fang whimpering and howling — next moment, he was being swept away into the dark trees.**

"I should've been with you guys," Hermione said sounding completely anguished.

"It wasn't your fault Hermione," Harry squeezed her hand tightly. "And we're fine, so it doesn't even matter."

**Head hanging, Harry saw that what had hold of him was marching on six immensely long, hairy legs, the front two clutching him tightly below a pair of shining black pincers.**

"That sounds like..." Fred trailed off, he felt like he would drown from the guilt that was filling him.

"A spider," George said paling drastically.

"What kind of spider can pick a child up?" Molly screeched.

"An acromantula," Charlie announced to the hall.

Those who knew what they are gasped.

"There are acromantula in the forbidden forest?" A seventh year Ravenclaw demanded. "Those are a class XXXXX, creature! They enjoy the taste of human flesh for Merlin's sake! You can't keep them near a school!"

Those who didn't know what exactly and acromantula was paled and looked fearfully at either the book or Harry and Ron.

Fred and George wanted nothing more than to apologize profusely for making fun of his fear of spiders, but they both knew it would be best to wait until after the chapter was over.

**Behind him, he could hear another of the creatures, no doubt carrying Ron.**

"Oh my baby," Molly whimpered.

Ron was too scared, remembering how horrified he was being carried by a giant spider to be embarrassed about being called baby by his mother.

Not even Draco was making fun of Harry and Ron, he knew that if he were in their shoes he would've passed out.

**They were moving into the very heart of the forest.**

Harry ignored all the fearful looks that were sent his way, he was too busy trying to comfort his best friend.

"It's okay Ron," Harry whispered. "We made it out of there."

Ron nodded absentmindedly.

**Harry could hear Fang fighting to free himself from a third monster, whining loudly, but Harry couldn't have yelled even if he had wanted to; he seemed to have left his voice back with the car in the clearing.**

"You're the bravest person I know Harry," Hermione said sounding as if there was a lump in her throat. "If you were that terrified...I can't imagine how anyone else would be feeling." She gave Ron's hand an extra hard squeeze.

**He never knew how long he was in the creature's clutches; he only knew that the darkness suddenly lifted enough for him to see that the leaf-strewn ground was now swarming with spiders. Craning his neck sideways, he realized that they had reached the ridge of a vast hollow, a hollow that had been cleared of trees, so that the stars shone brightly onto the worst scene he had ever laid eyes on.**

_'Second worst now.'_ Harry thought as an image of the graveyard burst into his mind.

**Spiders. Not tiny spiders like those surging over the leaves below. Spiders the size of cart horses, eight-eyed, eight-legged, black, hairy, gigantic.**

The girls in the hall looked as though they were about to faint, the boys didn't look much better.

"I'm never ever, ever, ever, going into the forbidden forest," Anthony declared.

"I think after reading this book, no one will be," Terry said.

**The massive specimen that was carrying Harry made its way down the steep slope toward a misty, domed web in the very centre of the hollow, while its fellows closed in all around it, clicking their pincers excitedly at the sight of its load.**

Tonks' hair turned black and she instinctually grabbed the hand of the person next to her, that person happened to be Remus.

Remus looked at Tonks shocked, but when he saw her fearful face he said nothing.

**Harry fell to the ground on all fours as the spider released him. Ron and Fang thudded down next to him. Fang wasn't howling anymore, but cowering silently on the spot. Ron looked exactly like Harry felt. His mouth was stretched wide in a kind of silent scream and his eyes were popping.**

The first years were clutching at each other and Harry and Ron's friends looked horrified.

"And I thought Fluffy had been bad," Neville whispered looking at his friends in terror.

George leaned over Harry and gripped one of Ron's arms trying to show him support, Fred leaned over Hermione and did the same thing.

"I can't believe two of my lions had to go through that," McGonagall said quietly to Sprout.

Sprout looked ready to cry. "They shouldn't have gone into the forest in the first place, but I can't deny that they are very, very brave. Most children would be scarred for life if that happened to them."

**Harry suddenly realized that the spider that had dropped him was saying something. It had been hard to tell because he clicked his pincers with every word he spoke.**

"They speak English?" Lavender asked faintly.

"Yes," Harry told her.

" **Aragog!" it called. "Aragog!"**

"That explains the chapter title," Bill muttered.

**And from the middle of the misty, domed web, a spider the size of a small elephant emerged, very slowly. There was gray in the black of his body and legs, and each of the eyes on his ugly, pincered head was milky white. He was blind.**

Hagrid looked at the book he was reading sadly. _'Poor Aragog.'_

" **What is it?" he said, clicking his pincers rapidly.**

" **Men," clicked the spider who had caught Harry.**

" **Is it Hagrid?" said Aragog, moving closer, his eight milky eyes wandering vaguely.**

"You know those horrible monsters?" Molly screeched so loudly it was hard to make out what she yelled. "You knew where you were sending two second years?"

"Aragog is my friend," Hagrid defended. "He won't hurt them."

"He won't hurt them?" Molly repeated faintly.

Umbridge smiled broadly and scribbled on her clipboard. _'Sending children to an acromantula colony...I'll have him kicked out for this.'_

" **Strangers," clicked the spider who had brought Ron.**

" **Kill them," clicked Aragog fretfully. "I was sleeping…"**

"What?" Everyone yelled.

"I thought you said he wouldn't hurt them!" Molly yelled.

Hagrid looked horrified. "I didn't...I didn't think he would...we're friends."

"Friends?" Molly yelled sounding like a banshee. "You can't be friends with that thing!"

"Hagrid," Remus sighed trying not to curse his friend, he was angry that he sent Harry and Ron into the forest, but he also knew Hagrid would never purposefully hurt them. "Just because something is safe for you, it doesn't mean that it's safe for everyone. You can handle larger, more dangerous beasts, most people can't."

"I'm sorry," Hagrid said with watery eyes to Harry and Ron.

"It's fine," Harry said.

Ron was still looking at the book in horror so he didn't respond.

"No it's not okay Mr. Potter," McGonagall said giving Hagrid a stern look. "Hagrid, you and I will be having a discussion later."

Hagrid nodded and continued to read.

" **We're friends of Hagrid's," Harry shouted. His heart seemed to have left his chest to pound in his throat.**

**Click, click, click went the pincers of the spiders all around the hollow.**

**Aragog paused.**

" **Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before," he said slowly.**

"Of course not," McGonagall snapped. "Acromantula are dangerous!"

" **Hagrid's in trouble," said Harry, breathing very fast. "That's why we've come."**

" **In trouble?" said the aged spider, and Harry thought he heard concern beneath the clicking pincers. "But why has he sent you?"**

"Concern?" Lily Moon said in disbelief.

**Harry thought of getting to his feet but decided against it; he didn't think his legs would support him. So he spoke from the ground, as calmly as he could.**

"How were you able to stay calm in that situation?" Kingsley asked impressed. "Most aurors I know wouldn't be able to even think straight let alone sit there and talk to them."

Harry shrugged. "Whenever I'm in a dangerous situation everything becomes clearer, especially if someone I care about is with me."

Moody had both his eyes trained on Harry. "Impressive Potter."

" **They think, up at the school, that Hagrid's been setting a — a — something on students. They've taken him to Azkaban."**

"You stuttered?" Neville asked, having never heard Harry stutter before.

"I didn't want to sound like I was accusing him or one of his family members or whatever," Harry said. "The spiders already wanted to eat us, I didn't want to give them a reason to hurry the process."

**Aragog clicked his pincers furiously, and all around the hollow the sound was echoed by the crowd of spiders; it was like applause, except applause didn't usually make Harry feel sick with fear.**

Harry's stomach clenched uncomfortably as he remembered the sick with fear feeling from June.

" **But that was years ago," said Aragog fretfully. "Years and years ago. I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school. They believed that I was the monster that dwells in what they call the Chamber of Secrets. They thought that Hagrid had opened the Chamber and set me free."**

"That's the same spider?" Wayne Hopkins asked.

"Yeah," Hagrid paused the reading to say.

" **And you… you didn't come from the Chamber of Secrets?" said Harry, who could feel cold sweat on his forehead.**

"You asked him that?" Hermione groaned. "Harry..."

" **I!" said Aragog, clicking angrily. "I was not born in the castle. I come from a distant land. A traveler gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg.**

"Acromantula eggs are a class A non tradable material," Umbridge simpered.

"Hagrid has already been punished for hatching Aragog," Dumbledore said with a fire burning in his eyes.

Umbridge wanted to protest but Fudge was shaking his head.

 _'I already look like a fool for sending Hagrid to Azkaban when he was innocent.'_ Fudge thought frantically. _'I don't need Delores adding fuel to the fire.'_

**Hagrid was only a boy, but he cared for me, hidden in a cupboard in the castle, feeding me on scraps from the table. Hagrid is my good friend, and a good man. When I was discovered, and blamed for the death of a girl, he protected me. I have lived here in the forest ever since, where Hagrid still visits me. He even found me a wife, Mosag, and you see how our family has grown, all through Hagrid's goodness…"**

"So Hagrid is responsible for the colony being there?" Molly demanded.

"Acromantula can actually be useful mum," Charlie said slowly not wanting his mother's angry to transfer to him. "They're venom can be sold for a hundred galleons a pint, and they're silk can be used for many things."

"But they're dangerous!" Molly shouted.

"I'm not saying they aren't," Charlie said quickly. "But only the staff even knew they were there, if you don't go into the middle of the forest you won't be attacked by them."

"You are correct Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said. "If you stay away from them, they'll stay away from you."

**Harry summoned what remained of his courage.**

"You still had some?" Dean asked. "All of mine would've fled at my first glimpse of that thing."

Harry shook his head. "You don't know that, you never know how much courage you really have until you need it. Before coming to Hogwarts I never would've thought I could've done even half the things I have."

Harry's last sentence didn't help calm any of the adult's nerves.

" **So you never — never attacked anyone?"**

" **Never," croaked the old spider. "It would have been my instinct, but out of respect for Hagrid, I never harmed a human.**

"Then why would you kill them?" Ginny asked in a small voice gripping Bill's hand hard.

**The body of the girl who was killed was discovered in a bathroom.**

Moody's eye's spun around and landed on the book, no one else seemed to notice the significance of that statement.

**I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard in which I grew up. Our kind like the dark and the quiet…"**

" **But then… Do you know what did kill that girl?" said Harry. "Because whatever it is, it's back and attacking people again —"**

 **His words were drowned by a loud outbreak of clicking and the rustling of many long legs shifting angrily; large black shapes shifted all around him**.

"Don't make them angry Harry," Tonks pleaded.

" **The thing that lives in the castle," said Aragog, "is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others.**

"How big would the monster have to be to eat a spider the size of an elephant?" Ernie asked.

The hall tensed further.

"I don't think I want to know what the monster was," Lisa said.

**Well do I remember how I pleaded with Hagrid to let me go, when I sensed the beast moving about the school."**

" **What is it?" said Harry urgently.**

**More loud clicking, more rustling; the spiders seemed to be closing in.**

" **We do not speak of it!" said Aragog fiercely. "We do not name it! I never even told Hagrid the name of that dread creature, though he asked me, many times."**

"What can scare something that big?" A fourth-year Hufflepuff asked although he wasn't expecting an answer.

**Harry didn't want to press the subject, not with the spiders pressing closer on all sides. Aragog seemed to be tired of talking. He was backing slowly into his domed web, but his fellow spiders continued to inch slowly toward Harry and Ron.**

"No!" Most of the hall cried out.

You could hear the guilt as Hagrid read on.

" **We'll just go, then," Harry called desperately to Aragog, hearing leaves rustling behind him.**

" **Go?" said Aragog slowly. "I think not…"**

"But they're friends of Hagrid's!" Charlie yelled.

Bill shook his head sadly. "I don't think that matters."

" **But — but —"**

" **My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Good-bye, friend of Hagrid."**

Hagrid looked horrified. "I never thought...I didn't think...I..."

"We know Hagrid," Harry told him. "We know you would never purposefully hurt us."

**Harry spun around. Feet away, towering above him, was a solid wall of spiders, clicking, their many eyes gleaming in their ugly blackheads.**

Fred and George felt more guilty the more Hagrid read.

**Even as he reached for his wand, Harry knew it was no good, there were too many of them, but as he tried to stand, ready to die fighting,**

Everyone in the hall either groaned, sighed or shot Harry an exasperated look. Snuffles whimpered thinking of his godson dying.

"How can you think like that?" Roger Davies asked.

"We were surrounded by hundreds of man-eating spiders," Harry pointed out dryly. "I honestly didn't think we'd make it out of there alive." The hall flinched as one. "So I just thought of Ron and Hermione and I didn't want to die...to never see them again...So I decided that if I was going to die there was no way I was going to let them eat me without a fight." He shrugged.

That snapped Ron out of his horrified state.

"You thought of us?" Ron asked in a weak voice.

"Of course," Harry said trying not to get mushy. "Like I said last night, you guys are my family."

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione said through tears as she threw her arms around him.

The adults were giving Harry impressed and proud looks.

"Your parents would be proud," Remus said with pride in his voice.

**a loud, long note sounded, and a blaze of light flamed through the hollow.**

"Is that?" Charlie asked weakly, not wanting to get his hopes up.

**Mr Weasley's car was thundering down the slope, headlights glaring, its horn screeching, knocking spiders aside; several were thrown onto their backs, their endless legs waving in the air. The car screeched to a halt in front of Harry and Ron and the doors flew open.**

Everyone looked dumbfounded.

"The car saved you?" Tonks asked surprised. She then noticed she was holding Remus' hand, she quickly blushed and pulled her hand away.

Molly wiped at her eyes which were leaking tears. "I still don't approve of you flying that car to school, but I am very glad you did."

" **Get Fang!" Harry yelled, diving into the front seat; Ron seized the boar hound around the middle and threw him, yelping, into the back of the car — the doors slammed shut — Ron didn't touch the accelerator but the car didn't need him; the engine roared and they were off, hitting more spiders. They sped up the slope, out of the hollow, and they were soon crashing through the forest, branches whipping the windows as the car wound its way cleverly through the widest gaps, following a path it obviously knew.**

**Harry looked sideways at Ron. His mouth was still open in the silent scream, but his eyes weren't popping anymore.**

Ron shuddered. "It was horrible."

The other Weasley's exchanged worried glances.

" **Are you okay?"**

**Ron stared straight ahead, unable to speak.**

**They smashed their way through the undergrowth, Fang howling loudly in the back seat, and Harry saw the side mirror snap off as they squeezed past a large oak.**

"Better the car than either of you," Arthur said.

**After ten noisy, rocky minutes, the trees thinned, and Harry could again see patches of sky.**

**The car stopped so suddenly that they were nearly thrown into the windshield. They had reached the edge of the forest.**

"Thank goodness." Was heard all through the hall.

"That was horrible to hear about," Sue Li said. "I can't imagine actually living through it."

**Fang flung himself at the window in his anxiety to get out, and when Harry opened the door, he shot off through the trees to Hagrid's house, tail between his legs.**

"I don't blame him." Several people muttered.

**Harry got out too, and after a minute or so, Ron seemed to regain the feeling in his limbs and followed, still stiff-necked and staring. Harry gave the car a grateful pat as it reversed back into the forest and disappeared from view.**

"I wonder if it's still there?" A third-year Gryffindor asked.

"I don't know, but no one in this hall will be finding out," McGonagall said sharply gazing out at all the students.

**Harry went back into Hagrid's cabin to get the Invisibility Cloak. Fang was trembling under a blanket in his basket. When Harry got outside again, he found Ron being violent sick in the pumpkin patch.**

Noses were wrinkled in disgust, but no one could blame him.

" **Follow the spiders," said Ron weakly, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I'll never forgive Hagrid. We're lucky to be alive."**

"You are very lucky to be alive," Bill said finally releasing his younger sisters hand.

" **I bet he thought Aragog wouldn't hurt friends of his," said Harry.**

"He shouldn't have just assumed that," McGonagall snapped turning her stern gaze onto Hagrid.

Hagrid looked even more guilty.

" **That's exactly Hagrid's problem!" said Ron, thumping the wall of the cabin. "He always thinks monsters aren't as bad as they're made out, and look where it's got him! A cell in Azkaban!"**

Ron flinched. "I didn't mean it like that Hagrid...I was just..."

"Don't apologize Ron," Hagrid said glumly. "You had every right to be mad at me...I'm shocked you two even forgave me."

"Of course we did," Harry said insulted that Hagrid would think otherwise. "Your friendship is important to both of us Hagrid. You thought Aragog wouldn't hurt us...you didn't know."

**He was shivering uncontrollably now. "What was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out, I'd like to know?"**

"I'd like to know that too," Molly said through pursed lips.

" **That Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets," said Harry, throwing the cloak over Ron and prodding him in the arm to make him walk. "He was innocent."**

**Ron gave a loud snort. Evidently, hatching Aragog in a cupboard wasn't his idea of being innocent.**

Fred, George and Lee couldn't help but snicker at that.

**As the castle loomed nearer Harry twitched the cloak to make sure their feet were hidden, then pushed the creaking front doors ajar. They walked carefully back across the entrance hall and up the marble staircase, holding their breath as they passed corridors where watchful sentries were walking. At last they reached the safety of the Gryffindor common room, where the fire had burned itself into glowing ash. They took off the cloak and climbed the winding stair to their dormitory.**

**Ron fell onto his bed without bothering to get undressed. Harry, however, didn't feel very sleepy. He sat on the edge of his four poster, thinking hard about everything Aragog had said.**

**The creature that was lurking somewhere in the castle, he thought, sounded like a sort of monster Voldemort — even other monsters didn't want to name it.**

"That's a good analogy Harry," Hermione smiled slightly finally relinquishing her grip on her two best friends.

Harry smiled at her.

**But he and Ron were no closer to finding out what it was, or how it petrified its victims. Even Hagrid had never known what was in the Chamber of Secrets.**

**Harry swung his legs up onto his bed and leaned back against his pillows, watching the moon glinting at him through the tower window.** **He couldn't see what else they could do. They had hit dead ends everywhere. Riddle had caught the wrong person, the Heir of Slytherin had got off, and no one could tell whether it was the same person, or a different one, who had opened the Chamber this time. There was nobody else to ask. Harry lay down, still thinking about what Aragog had said.**

**He was becoming drowsy when what seemed like their very last hope occurred to him, and he suddenly sat bolt upright.**

"What now?" Asked a first year Slytherin.

" **Ron," he hissed through the dark, "Ron —"**

**Ron woke with a yelp like Fang's, stared wildly around, and saw Harry.**

" **Ron — that girl who died. Aragog said she was found in a bathroom," said Harry, ignoring Neville's snuffling snores from the corner. "What if she never left the bathroom? What if she's still there?"**

"Good Potter," Moody said in approval. "Not everyone would've gotten that."

Suddenly everyone's eyes widened in realization.

"Moaning Myrtle?" Everyone yelled.

"She was the person who was killed fifty years ago?" Cho asked in shock.

"Yes," a gloomy voice said causing everyone to turn around. "Hello Harry," Myrtle said as she floating in through one of the walls.

"I never though I'd feel bad for Moaning Myrtle," Marietta muttered.

"What are you doing here Myrtle?" Harry asked awkwardly.

"Sir Nick told me that you were all reading about your second year and that I might find it interesting," Myrtle said as she batted her eyelashes at Harry.

Ron snickered at the part annoyed, part creeped out look on Harry's face.

"Great," Harry said in a strained voice, everyone but Myrtle it seemed could tell he wasn't sincere.

**Ron rubbed his eyes, frowning through the moonlight. And then he understood, too.**

" **You don't think — not Moaning Myrtle?"**

"That's the end," Hagrid said gloomily as he shut the book.

"Would you care to read next Severus?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly.

Snape scowled. "Do I have a choice?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and he hummed.

Snape snatched the book. "Fine," he said through gritted teeth.

Fred and George stood up, and everyone turned to them.

"Can we talk to our brother outside for a minute?" George asked.

"Of course Misters Weasley," Dumbledore said jovially.

"Ron can we talk?" Fred asked.

Ron nodded and followed his twin brothers out of the great hall.

"Look Ron," Fred began.

"We're both really sorry about teasing you about your fear of spiders," George said sincerely.

"And I'm also really, really sorry about turning your teddy bear into a spider when you were little," Fred said dolefully. "I didn't know it had scarred you so much, if I would've known how bad it was I would never of teased you that much."

"We also wanted to say how brave you were going into the forest to try and help the school," George added. "I hope that if we ever need help that our friends turn out to be as caring as you and Harry are towards each other and Hermione."

Fred shook his head. "It's hard to believe what we've read so far. You've done more in your first two years alone than all the other students will do in seven."

"We solemnly swear," Ron grinned at the inside joke. "That we'll never make fun of your fear of spiders again," the twins finished together.

"Are we forgiven?" George asked.

Ron was silent for a moment and the twins tensed slightly.

"Yeah," Ron said. "I could've told you how much it bothered me but I never did."

Fred and George each clapped him on the back.

"Shall we go back in?" Fred asked quickly, not wanting to get all mushy. "I want to hear what happens next."

Ron grimaced. "When we get back in there make sure you comfort Ginny."

Fred and George paled.

"We're going to have to read about her being taken into the chamber aren't we?" Fred asked looking miserable.

"Yeah," Ron sighed.

"Alright we'll do our best," George promised.

The three walked back into the hall and took their seats. George and Fred switched spots to sit on either side of Ginny instead of where they had been since breakfast. Ginny knowing what would most likely be read next didn't protest.


	16. Chamber of Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are still enjoying, I love reading all you reviews so please keep them coming, I do read them all even if I don't always reply

**"The Chamber of Secrets."** Snape read out and everyone in the hall gasped.

All of the adults besides Umbridge paled, Snape even paled, although it wasn't noticeable.

Ginny squeezed her brothers hands so tight they both thought they'd fall off, but neither said anything. Neither of them knew what had happened in the chamber, but they both swore to themselves that they'd do whatever they had to in order to comfort their sister.

Hermione quickly grabbed one of Harry's hands and one of Ron's, neither boy protested, they were both secretly happy to have the physical support.

"You guys go into the chamber?" Jimmy asked he was half in awe and half terrified.

"You can't go in there!" Hannah yelled.

"There's no way they went into the chamber," Pansy said pompously but not loud enough for anyone but those around to hear.

" **All those times we were in that bathroom, and she was just three toilets away," said Ron bitterly at breakfast next day, "and we could've asked her, and now…"**

"That would have been nice to just randomly ask her," Tonks said. "Hello Myrtle, how did you die?"

Fred and George couldn't help but snicker.

"I would love to see her reaction to being asked," Lee said.

"It isn't at all what you'd think," Ron told him.

Lee raised his eyebrows, he was going to ask what Ron meant but he knew that he wouldn't get an answer.

**It had been hard enough trying to look for spiders. Escaping their teachers long enough to sneak into a girls' bathroom, the girls' bathroom, moreover, right next to the scene of the first attack, was going to be almost impossible.**

"I would think it would be harder to sneak out of the castle," Charlie said.

"It should be impossible to do both," McGonagall frowned.

Harry and Ron chose to ignore their head of houses comment.

**But something happened in their first lesson, Transfiguration, that drove the Chamber of Secrets out of their minds for the first time in weeks.**

"What could possibly do that?" Jimmy asked.

"Hopefully nothing bad," Euan said.

**Ten minutes into the class, Professor McGonagall told them that their exams would start on the first of June, one week from today.**

"They still had exams?" Charlie exclaimed.

"Of course they still had exams Mr Weasley," McGonagall said sternly. "That's why the school remained opened so that the students could go to class and take the exams."

"How did you expect them to be able to concentrate with a monster running loose?" Charlie asked.

"We expected them to still do their best," McGonagall answered stiffly.

" **Exams?" howled Seamus Finnigan. "We're still getting exams?"**

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly," she muttered under her breath.

**There was a loud bang behind Harry as Neville Longbottom's wand slipped, vanishing one of the legs on his desk.**

The teachers exchanged exasperated looks.

**Professor McGonagall restored it with a wave of her own wand, and turned, frowning, to Seamus.**

" **The whole point of keeping the school open at this time is for you to receive your education," she said sternly. "The exams will therefore take place as usual, and I trust you are all studying hard."**

"I think them reacting in the way that they did prove they weren't," Remus pointed out.

"Thank you, Remus, I noticed that myself," McGonagall said shooting her lions a sharp look.

"I was too worried about getting petrified to study," a fourth-year Gryffindor muttered to her friend.

**Studying hard! It had never occurred to Harry that there would be exams with the castle in this state.**

Hermione gave Harry a look and he shrugged.

"I didn't think with all the petrifications and Dumbledore being gone that we'd still have exams," Harry told her.

**There was a great deal of mutinous muttering around the room, which made Professor McGonagall scowl even more darkly.**

"The last thing I needed was for my students to spend the entire period complaining about exams they know they have to take every year," McGonagall said severely.

Those who complained about exams that year, which was almost everyone who had been at Hogwarts at the time-shifted in their seats.

" **Professor Dumbledore's instructions were to keep the school running as normally as possible, she said. "And that, I need hardly point out, means finding out how much you have learned this year."**

**Harry looked down at the pair of white rabbits he was supposed to be turning into slippers.**

"I always liked that lesson," a sixth year Hufflepuff whispered to her friend.

**What had he learned so far this year? He couldn't seem to think of anything that would be useful in an exam.**

Snape sneered. _'Maybe if the boy paid more attention, instead of spending his lessons thinking of ways to break rules, he would learn something.'_

**Ron looked as though he'd just been told he had to go and live in the Forbidden Forest.**

Ron looked at Harry. "Really?"

"You looked almost like you did when we met Aragog," Harry told him.

Ron blanched.

" **Can you imagine me taking exams with this?" he asked Harry, holding up his wand, which had just started whistling loudly.**

Nearly everyone winced.

"You should've just asked to borrow mine," Harry told him. "I would've let you use it."

"It would've been less dangerous," Dean said with a wince, remembering the time Ron's wand malfunctioned and hit him.

**Three days before their first exam, Professor McGonagall made another announcement at breakfast.**

" **I have good news," she said, and the Great Hall, instead of falling silent, erupted.**

"I thought the monster had been caught," Hannah said.

"I thought Dumbledore was coming back," Justin told her.

"I was just glad for any form of good news after everything that had happened that year," Susan said.

" **Dumbledore's coming back!" several people yelled joyfully.**

"It's not like he did a whole lot to help," Draco sneered to Crabbe and Goyle.

" **You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" squealed a girl at the Ravenclaw table.**

"That would be great news," Bill said. "But I don't think that's it."

" **Quidditch matches are back on!" roared Wood excitedly.**

"Please tell me you were joking?" Terry asked.

"Of course I wasn't," Oliver said looking scandalized that anyone would think he'd joke about quidditch.

Eyes were rolled all across the hall and McGonagall frowned at her old student.

"Oliver." His old quidditch team groaned.

"Some things are more important than quidditch," Alicia sighed.

"I know that," Oliver said defiantly.

Many people sent him looks of disbelief.

**When the hubbub had subsided, Professor McGonagall said, "Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last.**

The friends of the students who had been petrified cheered.

**Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them.**

"I wouldn't get your hopes up," Moody grunted. "They may not even have seen who or what attacked them."

"All I saw was a giant pair of yellow eyes," Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron.

They both squeezed her hands and gave her reassuring smiles.

**I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."**

"It shouldn't have taken all year," Arthur frowned looking at his pale daughter.

"They should've called in Aurors," Moody barked.

"Why didn't you call us?" Tonks asked.

"We assumed that the victims would be able to tell us who attacked them," McGonagall told them harshly, not liking the accusing tones they were speaking in.

"You said assumed, so I take it that they didn't see whoever it was?" Moody asked with both his magic eyes on her.

"No," McGonagall said with thin lips.

**There was an explosion of cheering. Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and wasn't at all surprised to see that Draco Malfoy hadn't joined in.**

"Of course not." Many people muttered darkly.

Snape looked over at his godson and resisted the urge to sigh. _'If he's not careful he'll end up in the service of the Dark Lord, and I know he won't be able to handle it.'_

**Ron, however, was looking happier than he'd looked in days.**

" **It won't matter that we never asked Myrtle, then!" he said to Harry.** **"Hermione'll probably have all the answers when they wake her up!**

"Not if she didn't see who or what it was," Megan Jones said.

"She did give us answers though," Harry said. "Without her, we couldn't have solved it."

Hermione smiled at him while people were wondering just what Hermione had known.

**Mind you, she'll go crazy when she finds out we've got exams in three days' time.**

"It might be better for her to just to leave her asleep until they're over," Charlie said.

Hermione glared at him as the rest of the hall laughed.

Harry and Ron were laughing harder than the rest, remembering what Ron said next.

**She hasn't studied. It might be kinder to leave her where she is till they're over."**

This caused the laughter to increase.

"Ronnikins and Charlie think alike!" George gasped out.

**Just then, Ginny Weasley came over and sat down next to Ron. She looked tense and nervous, and Harry noticed that her hands were twisting in her lap.**

Bill and Charlie frowned, their sister only acting like that when she was extremely nervous or feeling guilty. They both looked at her and noticed that she was pale. Just what happened that year?

" **What's up?" said Ron, helping himself to more porridge.**

**Ginny didn't say anything but glanced up and down the Gryffindor table with a scared look on her face that reminded Harry of someone, though he couldn't think who.**

" **Spit it out," said Ron, watching her.**

"That wasn't very nice," Arthur frowned.

Ron looked guilty. "I'm sorry Gin..."

"It's okay," Ginny said quietly. "You didn't know."

This had Bill and Charlie feeling very worried. Just what exactly didn't he know?

**Harry suddenly realized who Ginny looked like. She was rocking backwards and forward slightly in her chair, exactly like Dobby did when he was teetering on the edge of revealing forbidden information.**

Everyone was exchanging confused looks. What exactly does Ginny know? Is it about the chamber?

" **I've got to tell you something," Ginny mumbled, carefully not looking at Harry.**

" **What is it?" said Harry.**

**Ginny looked as though she couldn't find the right words.**

"How do you say it's your fault?" Ginny muttered to herself, no one heard but the twins and they each squeezed her hands reassuringly.

" **What?" said Ron.**

**Ginny opened her mouth, but no sound came out.**

**Harry leaned forward and spoke quietly so that only Ginny and Ron could hear him.**

" **Is it something about the Chamber of Secrets? Have you seen anything? Someone acting oddly?"**

"Why would you think she'd know who opened the chamber?" Neville asked frowning.

"I didn't," Harry said. "She was just acting strange so I thought maybe she overheard something."

**Ginny drew a deep breath and, at that precise moment, Percy Weasley appeared, looking tired and wan.**

Ron and Harry groaned. Why did Percy have to come at that exact moment?

Percy looked up for the first time, 

" **If you've finished eating, I'll take that seat, Ginny. I'm starving, I've only just come off patrol duty."**

"The Gryffindor table is huge," George pointed out. "Why didn't you just sit somewhere else?"

Percy flushed, he hadn't meant to interrupt,

**Ginny jumped up as though her chair had just been electrified, gave Percy a fleeting, frightened look, and scampered away.**

Percy felt a huge surge of shame, his sister should've been able to come to him, looking up at his family comforting each other he wondered just how badly the bridges had been burnt. 

**Percy sat down and grabbed a mug from the centre of the table.**

" **Percy!" said Ron angrily. "She was just about to tell us something important!"**

**Halfway through a gulp of tea, Percy choked.**

Bill and Charlie looked at their brother with raised eyebrows, but Percy looked wasn't looking at them.

" **What sort of thing?" he said, coughing.**

"They don't know because you chased her away," Zacharias sneered.

The Weasley's, Harry and Hermione glared at Zacharias.

Standing up for him in that small way made a warmth fill up inside of Percy, maybe bridges could still be built, 

" **I just asked her if she'd seen anything odd, and she started to say…"**

" **Oh — that — that's nothing to do with the Chamber of Secrets," said Percy at once.**

Some students were looking at Percy and others were raising their eyebrows.

"It's not?" Michael asked.

"How would you know?" Stewart questioned.

Percy turned red and didn't answer.

" **How do you know?" said Ron, his eyebrows raised.**

" **Well, er, if you must know, Ginny, er, walked in on me the other day when I was — well, never mind — the point is, she spotted me doing something and I, um, I asked her not to mention it to anybody. I must say, I did think she'd keep her word. It's nothing, really, I'd just rather —"**

By the end of the sentence, Percy was crimson.

"Just what were you doing?" Bill asked wagging his eyebrows.

"Who is she?" Charlie asked smirking.

Percy spluttered, Fred and George looked like Christmas had come early, 

"Who knew Percy could get a girl?" Warrington whispered to Montague.

"I always thought he had a stick to far up his ass to notice any," Montague whispered.

**Harry had never seen Percy look so uncomfortable.**

"I take that back," Harry said as he looked at the red Percy in front of him.

" **What were you doing, Percy?" said Ron, grinning. "Go on; tell us, we won't laugh."**

"Somehow I doubt that," Dean said. "And I don't think he'd believe that."

Ron shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

**Percy didn't smile back.**

" **Pass me those rolls, Harry, I'm starving."**

Fred and George snorted.

"Brilliant subject change," Lee snickered.

**Harry knew the whole mystery might be solved tomorrow without their help, but he wasn't about to pass up a chance to speak to Myrtle if it turned up**

Most of the adults in the room groaned.

"Why did he have to inherit both James and Lily's sense of curiosity," Remus moaned.

"I really can't blame him," Tonks said. "If I was in his position I'd want to know as well."

— **a** **nd to his delight it did, midmorning, when they were being led to History of Magic by Gilderoy Lockhart.**

"Of course." The adults said as one, exasperation clearly evident in their voices.

"Can he do anything right?" Bill asked.

"No." The students said.

**Lockhart, who had so often assured them that all danger had passed only to be proved wrong right away; was now wholeheartedly convinced that it was hardly worth the trouble to see them safely down the corridors.**

"Is he serious?" Charlie asked incredulously.

"He thought Hagrid was behind the attacks," Harry said scowling. "So in his opinion, the danger had passed."

**His hair wasn't as sleek as usual; it seemed he had been up most of the night, patrolling the fourth floor.**

The students snorted.

"So that's why he was mad about having to patrol," Dean said. "It cut into his haircare time."

Snickers followed Dean's comment.

" **Mark my words," he said, ushering them around a corner. "The first words out of those poor Petrified people's mouths will be 'It was Hagrid.'**

Charlie growled and glared at the book.

**Frankly, I'm astounded Professor McGonagall thinks all these security measures are necessary."**

"They certainly were necessary!" McGonagall yelled.

" **I agree, sir," said Harry,**

"What?" Those who didn't realize what he was doing yelled.

"You agree?" Justin demanded.

"With Lockhart?" Harry snorted. "No way."

"But..." Justin began.

"You'll see," Harry said.

**making Ron drop his books in surprise.**

" **Thank you, Harry," said Lockhart graciously while they waited for a long line of Hufflepuffs to pass. "I mean, we teachers have quite enough to be getting on with, without walking students to classes and standing guard all night…"**

The teachers glared at the book.

"The safety of our students is the most important thing," Professor Vector said through gritted teeth.

" **That's right," said Ron, catching on.**

"Oh." Those who didn't get it before said.

"That's a good plan," Colin praised.

"I'm glad you caught on," Harry told his best friend. "I hadn't given you any indication."

"At first I didn't," Ron said. "But I knew you'd never agree with Lockhart, and then it came to me."

**"Why don't you leave us here, sir, we've only got one more corridor to go —"**

"He didn't," Remus growled.

"He did." Harry and Ron said.

The staff and visiting adults groaned.

" **You know, Weasley, I think I will," said Lockhart. "I really should go and prepare my next class —"** **And he hurried off.**

" **Prepare his class," Ron sneered after him. "Gone to curl his hair, more like."**

The students laughed, and some of the adults' lips were twitching.

"Good one Ronnikins," George said through his laughter.

**They let the rest of the Gryffindors draw ahead of them, then darted down a side passage and hurried off toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. But just as they were congratulating each other on their brilliant scheme,**

"It was a good plan," Luna said dreamily. "It was very Slytherin of you."

Harry shrugged. "It was all I could think of on the spot."

Snape and the Slytherins grudgingly agreed that it was a Slytherin plan.

" **Potter! Weasley! What are you doing?"** **It was Professor McGonagall, and her mouth was the thinnest of thin lines.**

"Uh oh," Fred said glancing at his head of the house.

"Not good," George said.

" **We were — we were —" Ron stammered. "We were going to — to go and see —"**

"Ron." Fred and George groaned.

"This is why you always have to have a lie ready," George told him.

"Mr Weasley!" "George!"

"You will not help your brother to lie to adults," Molly said sternly.

" **Hermione," said Harry. Ron and Professor McGonagall both looked at him.**

Everyone turned to stare at Harry. McGonagall's lips were thin and she was staring at him over her glasses.

Hermione looked scandalized. "You used me to get out of trouble!"

Harry winced at her tone. "I'm sorry Hermione but I didn't really have a choice." Hermione gave him an incredulous look. "We couldn't tell her that we were on our way to the girls' bathroom."

Hermione sighed. "I understand why you did it."

"Mr Potter," McGonagall said sternly. "I can't believe you lied to me!"

 _'I can, the boy's a compulsive liar.'_ Umbridge thought as she watched the exchange carefully.

"Sorry professor," Harry said shifting guiltily.

McGonagall pursed her lips. "I can't punish you for this, however, I advise you not to do it again."

" **We haven't seen her for ages, Professor," Harry went on hurriedly, treading on Ron's foot, "and we thought we'd sneak into the hospital wing, you know, and tell her the Mandrakes are nearly ready and, er, not to worry —"**

"That's actually a really good excuse," Jack Sloper said.

Andrew Kirke nodded in agreement. "Most of the teachers would buy it."

The teachers frowned; none of them liked the idea of being lied to.

**Professor McGonagall was still staring at him, and for a moment, Harry thought she was going to explode, but when she spoke, it was in a strangely croaky voice.**

The students glanced at McGonagall quickly before looking away.

" **Of course," she said, and Harry, amazed, saw a tear glistening in her beady eye.**

More glances were sent to the normally very stern professor.

"I may be strict but I do care deeply for all of my students," McGonagall sniffed.

**"Of course, I realize this has all been hardest on the friends of those who have been… I quite understand. Yes, Potter, of course, you may visit Miss Granger. I will inform Professor Binns where you've gone. Tell Madam Pomfrey I have given my permission."**

"She actually let you?" Dennis asked in awe.

"How do you always do that?" Fred asked staring intently at Harry.

"Do what?" Harry asked confused.

"You always seem to be able to do the impossible," George answered for his twin.

Harry shrugged. "I honestly have no idea."

**Harry and Ron walked away, hardly daring to believe that they'd avoided detention.**

"I can't believe they got away with that," Mandy said.

**As they turned the corner, they distinctly heard Professor McGonagall blow her nose.**

" **That," said Ron fervently, "was the best story you've ever come up with."**

"Second best," Fred said.

"His best was when he tricked Peeves into believing he was the Bloody Baron," George said smirking at the memory.

Some students snickered, remembering when Harry got one up on the menacing poltergeist.

**They had no choice now but to go to the hospital wing and tell Madam Pomfrey that they had Professor McGonagall's permission to visit Hermione.**

"Good boys," Moody said in approval. "You never know, she could've decided to check if you actually went. It would be good to have an alibi."

The other adults didn't look happy that Moody was helping the students learn new ways to avoid getting out of trouble.

**Madam Pomfrey let them in, but reluctantly.**

" **There's just no point talking to a Petrified person," she said, and they had to admit she had a point when they'd taken their seats next to Hermione. It was plain that Hermione didn't have the faintest inkling that she had visitors and that they might just as well tell her bedside cabinet not to worry for all the good it would do.**

"Could you hear them?" Parvarti asked Hermione.

Hermione shook her head sadly. "No, I remember looking around the corner with a mirror and then waking up in the hospital wing."

" **Wonder if she did see the attacker, though?" said Ron, looking sadly at Hermione's rigid face. "Because if he sneaked upon them all, no one'll ever know…"**

**But Harry wasn't looking at Hermione's face. He was more interested in her right hand.**

Harry was sent odd looks, but he ignored them. They would all know why in a few seconds.

**It lay clenched on top of her blankets, and bending closer, he saw that a piece of paper was scrunched inside her fist.**

Everyone perked up at that sentence.

"A piece of paper?" Bill asked. "Did nobody notice that before?"

Pomfrey frowned. "I never saw a piece of paper."

"Did you look?" Bill questioned.

"No, I didn't," Pomfrey said looking embarrassed. "She was petrified, she was moved onto a bed and the curtains were then shut and no one was able to visit."

Some people frowned at her excuse. All of the victims should've been checked; whoever was behind the attacks might've left something behind.

"If we would've been able to visit sooner we might've found it," Ron muttered to Harry.

"We'll never know now," Harry muttered back.

**Making sure that Madam Pomfrey was nowhere near, he pointed this out to Ron.**

" **Go on and get it out," Ron whispered, shifting his chair so that he blocked Harry from Madam Pomfrey's view.**

**It was no easy task. Hermione's hand was clamped so tightly around the paper that Harry was sure he was going to tear it. While Ron kept watch he tugged and twisted, and at last, after several tense minutes, the paper came free.**

"I didn't want to hurt her," Harry said. "I didn't know what would have happened to her fingers if I would've pulled too hard."

Hermione paled. "I'm glad you were gentle."

**It was a page torn from a very old library book.**

Everyone turned to Hermione in shock, Madam Pince looked at her half scandalized and half shocked.

"You tore a page from a library book?" Fred asked in awe.

Hermione was red and trying hard to avoid all of the looks the adults were sending her.

"It was important," Hermione said quickly.

**Harry smoothed it out eagerly and Ron leaned close to read it, too.**

" **Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk,**

The hall went deathly quiet as everyone who knew what a basilisk was turned to stare at Harry and Ron in horror. Those who didn't know what it was could tell that it was bad based on the looks from their fellow students.

Molly looked as if she was about to faint, she grabbed Arthur's arm in a vice-like grip. Remus was pale and his eyes were glowing amber. Moody had both of his eyes focused on Harry, Kingsley looked shocked that a monster like that was in a school and Tonks was looking at Harry in fear. Amelia was frowning, just why was she never informed of a basilisk?

Umbridge was smiling triumphantly. _'I'll get him for this.'_

Fred and George squeezed their sister's hands even tighter than before. Their sister was near a creature like that? They were lucky that she's alive.

Finally, after a few minutes, a first-year Hufflepuff broke the silence. "What's a basilisk?"

"A basilisk! There was a basilisk in the school? Are they bloody mental?" Charlie demanded before turning to the Hufflepuff table. "A basilisk is a giant snake, normally between fifty and seventy feet long, they are the most deadly creature in the world. Their venom is poisonous; there is no antidote for it. If you look into its eyes it instantly kills you, that's what a basilisk is!" His voice got higher as he spoke.

Those who didn't know what one was before now looked completely horrified. The younger students looked ready to pack their bags and leave Hogwarts right now if the monster is still alive. A few girls looked ready to faint or vomit.

"That...that...that," Neville stammered. "That thing was...was in the school?"

"Yes," Harry said simply.

"How the hell does a basilisk get into the school?" Molly shrieked.

Dumbledore looked older than Harry had ever seen him look. "I am sure it will all be explained soon."

"There better be one hell of an explanation Albus," Molly hissed. They had told her Ginny had been taken into the chamber and that she had been possessed but they never said anything about a basilisk.

**known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach a gigantic size and live many hundreds of years,**

"It can live for hundreds of years..." Padma trailed off. "Is that the same monster that Slytherin put in the chamber?"

"Yes Ms. Patil," Dumbledore answered.

"You're telling me that since the founding of Hogwarts there has been a basilisk here the whole time?" Molly asked faintly.

Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, Molly that is correct."

This didn't calm anyone down; on the contrary, it scared everyone, even the Slytherins.

**is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad.**

Fred and George wanted to crack a joke but they knew it wasn't the time.

**Its methods of killing are most wondrous,**

Snorts rang throughout the hall.

"How exactly can killing be considered wondrous?" Kevin asked incredulously.

"Oh I don't know," Harry muttered so only Ron and Hermione could hear. "Voldemort sure considers it wondrous."

**for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs,**

Harry flinched slightly but thankfully for him, no one noticed. Ron was too busy looking at his sister worriedly and Hermione was looking at the book.

**the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death.**

Tonks frowned and looked thoughtful. "Are you sure it's the right monster? It didn't say anything about petrifying its victims."

"It's the right one," Harry told her.

Harry saying that gave everyone a sense of foreboding. How exactly would he know that?

**Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it."**

"The roosters!" Lisa yelled.

Everyone turned to look at the Ravenclaw oddly.

Lisa blushed. "Earlier it said that all of the roosters were killed. Whoever is releasing the basilisk killed them all so that they couldn't hurt the snake."

The clues they've been reading about were starting to add up, everything was starting to make sense to the smarter students.

**And beneath this, a single word had been written, in a hand, Harry recognized as Hermione's. Pipes.**

The adults all looked impressed that a second year was able to figure all of that out.

"You really are the smartest witch of your age," Remus complimented.

Hermione tinged pink. "I'm sure given the same clues we had, someone else would've been able to figure it out."

Looks of disbelief were sent her way.

"I wouldn't have figured that out," Padma said. "You really should be in Ravenclaw."

"Don't dismiss your accomplishments, Miss Granger," Flitwick said. "Us teachers didn't even figure it out, yes we didn't know everything you did, but that doesn't diminish what you did."

"He's right," Harry told her.

Hermione went from pink to red. "Thanks."

**It was as though somebody had just flicked a light on in his brain.**

" **Ron," he breathed. "This is it. This is the answer. The monster in the Chamber's a basilisk — a giant serpent! That's why I've been hearing that voice all over the place, and nobody else has heard it. It's because I understand Parseltongue…"**

"I never thought I'd be thankful for having something in common with Voldemort," Harry muttered.

"It really is a good thing that you speak parseltongue mate," Ron whispered. "We never would've been able to enter the chamber if you couldn't."

**Harry looked up at the beds around him.**

" **The basilisk kills people by looking at them. But no one's died — because no one looked it straight in the eye.**

The adults nodded, impressed with Harry's deduction skills.

**Colin saw it through his camera. The basilisk burned up all the film inside it, but Colin just got Petrified. Justin… Justin must've seen the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick! Nick got the full blast of it, but he couldn't die again… and Hermione and that Ravenclaw prefect were found with a mirror next to them. Hermione had just realized the monster was a basilisk. I bet you anything she warned the first person she met to look around corners with a mirror first! And that girl pulled out her mirror — and —"**

**Ron's jaw had dropped.**

"It's spectacular that you figured all of that out Harry," Tonks told him.

"Impressive," Moody said looking at him appraisingly. "I definitely can see you as an Auror."

Harry smiled shyly as Umbridge sneered.

" **And Mrs Norris?" he whispered eagerly.**

Filch clutched Mrs Norris close to him as he thought back to seeing her petrified.

**Harry thought hard, picturing the scene on the night of Halloween.**

**"** **The water…" he said slowly.** **"** **The flood from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I bet you Mrs Norris only saw the reflection…"**

**He scanned the page in his hand eagerly. The more he looked at it, the more it made sense.**

"… **The crowing of the rooster… is fatal to it!" he read aloud. "Hagrid's roosters were killed! The Heir of Slytherin didn't want one anywhere near the castle once the Chamber was opened! Spiders flee before it! It all fits!"**

"Now we know what the monster is," Stewart said. "But we still don't know who's controlling it."

Everyone looked around the hall, all wondering the same thing. Who was controlling the monster? No one but the twins and Harry noticed Ginny shift uncomfortably.

" **But how's the basilisk been getting around the place?" said Ron. "A giant snake… Someone would've seen…"**

**Harry, however, pointed at the word Hermione had scribbled at the foot of the page.**

" **Pipes," he said. "Pipes… Ron, it's been using the plumbing. I've been hearing that voice inside the walls…"**

"The plumbing?" A first-year Ravenclaw squeaked.

"Just how big are the pipes in this school?" Leanne asked slowly.

"This is a school of magic," Professor Babbling answered. "The pipes adjust in size depending on how large they need to be."

**Ron suddenly grabbed Harry's arm.**

" **The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets!" he said hoarsely. "What if it's a bathroom? What if it's in —"**

Everyone's jaws dropped.

"Moaning Myrtle's bathroom!" Susan yelled.

"How did you come to that conclusion Mr Weasley?" McGonagall asked impressed.

Ron turned red from all the impressed looks that people were sending him. "It sort of just came to me."

"That's impressive Ron," Arthur told his son.

Ron swelled at the praise.

" **Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," said Harry.**

All of a sudden the adults and some of the smarter students paled even more than they were already.

"Oh Merlin," Bill suddenly said.

"What's wrong Bill?" Fleur asked.

"They spent a lot of time in that bathroom that year," Bill reminded everyone. "They could've been easily attacked."

Horrified looks were directed at the trio.

The trio exchanged slightly startled looks.

"I forgot about that," Ron whispered.

**They sat there, excitement coursing through them, hardly able to believe it.**

" **This means," said Harry, "I can't be the only Parselmouth in the school. The Heir of Slytherin's one, too. That's how he's been controlling the basilisk."**

"Someone else spoke parseltongue?" Ernie asked shocked.

"I thought Harry was the only parseltongue here," Justin said.

"Whoever was controlling it obviously didn't want anyone to know that he or she was a parseltongue," Wayne said.

" **What're we going to do?" said Ron, whose eyes were flashing. "Should we go straight to McGonagall?"**

"Yes!" Everyone shouted.

"Yes, you should have," McGonagall said looking at the two boys.

"You didn't go to her?" Molly asked trying to keep calm.

"We tried," Ron muttered.

McGonagall frowned, they never came to her.

" **Let's go to the staff room," said Harry, jumping up. "She'll be there in ten minutes. It's nearly break."**

McGonagall startled. "You tried coming to me?"

"Yes," Harry told her.

"What do you mean tried?" Tonks asked trying not to let fear show in her voice.

Harry and Ron exchanged looks but didn't say anything.

**They ran downstairs. Not wanting to be discovered hanging around in another corridor,**

"Smart," Sally-Anne said. "It wouldn't be good for you, Harry, to be seen in another corridor when you should be in class."

**they went straight into the deserted staff room.**

"You don't lock it?" Colin asked.

Fred and George looked at each other and grins spread across their faces. The teachers noticed and they immediately all made a mental note to always make sure it's locked.

"No," Sprout said before glancing at the Weasley twins. "But we will be from now on."

**It was a large, panelled room full of dark, wooden chairs. Harry and Ron paced around it, too excited to sit down.**

**But the bell to signal break never came.**

An ominous feeling crept over the room.

"Oh no," Hannah gasped.

**Instead, echoing through the corridors came Professor McGonagall's voice, magically magnified.**

Ginny flinched and she paled to a point Harry didn't even know was possible.

" **All students to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately, please."**

"Another attack?" A first-year Ravenclaw asked faintly.

**Harry wheeled around to stare at Ron. "Not another attack? Not now?"**

The younger students were staring at the book fearfully. Who's been petrified now?

"No, much worse," Ron said under his breath.

" **What'll we do?" said Ron, aghast. "Go back to the dormitory?"**

"No," Remus said. "Wait for the professors to come then tell them what you know."

" **No," said Harry, glancing around. There was an ugly sort of wardrobe to his left, full of the teachers' cloaks. "In here. Let's hear what it's all about. Then we can tell them what we've found out."**

The students shot them exasperated looks while the teachers paled. Those two found out about Ms. Weasley that way?

"You should've just told them what you knew first," Bill said.

**They hid themselves inside it, listening to the rumbling of hundreds of people moving overhead, and the staff room door banging open. From between the musty folds of the cloaks, they watched the teachers filtering into the room. Some of them were looking puzzled, others downright scared. Then Professor McGonagall arrived.**

" **It has happened," she told the silent staff room. "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself."**

"What?" Those who didn't know about that yelled.

"Someone was taken into the chamber?" Several first and second years asked.

Molly and Arthur paled and looked in sadness and fear at their daughter.

**Professor Flitwick let out a squeal. Professor Sprout clapped her hands over her mouth. Snape gripped the back of a chair very hard and said, "How can you be sure?"**

"Did you think she would tell you a student was taken if she wasn't sure?" Kingsley asked the potions master.

"I just wanted to know all of the details," Snape said without his usual malice. "I wanted to know what exactly had transpired."

" **The Heir of Slytherin," said Professor McGonagall, who was very white, "left another message. Right underneath the first one. 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.' "**

"She didn't die did she?" Squeaked a small first-year Hufflepuff.

"No," Harry said not wanting the younger students to be frightened any more than they already were.

**Professor Flitwick burst into tears.**

Nobody said anything; they couldn't blame him for being distraught.

"Thinking that you've lost a student, that you've failed them is the worst feeling in the world," Flitwick said sadly.

" **Who is it?" said Madam Hooch, who had sunk, weak-kneed, into a chair. "Which student?"**

" **Ginny Weasley," said Professor McGonagall.**

"What?" Charlie and Bill yelled along with those who hadn't known.

"Ginny?" Bill asked looking faint.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Charlie asked looking horrified.

Ginny was stiff as a board and Molly looked on the verge of a breakdown so Arthur answered. "Your sister didn't want to dwell on it; she just wanted to move on."

Bill and Charlie leaned over the table and placed their hands on top of Ginny's which were holding onto Fred and George's tightly.

Percy looked at his sister with regret. _'If I wouldn't have scared her off earlier that day she might not have been taken.'_

Harry was looking at Percy, guessing what he was thinking, maybe there was hope yet 

**Harry felt Ron slide silently down onto the wardrobe floor beside him.**

"I wish you hadn't found out that way," McGonagall sighed.

Ron shrugged. "It wouldn't have hurt any less if you would've told me in different circumstances."

" **We shall have to send all the students home tomorrow," said Professor McGonagall. "This is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledore always said…"**

**The staff room door banged open again. For one wild moment, Harry was sure it would be Dumbledore. But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming.**

Bill and Charlie growled.

"If I ever see that pompous ponce I will tear him limb from limb," Bill hissed.

"I say we feed him to one of my dragons," Charlie said with fury in his eyes. "That way no one ever finds the body."

No one even bothered to yell at them, Lockhart was being an insensitive ass.

" **So sorry — dozed off — what have I missed?"**

"Oh, I don't know," Fred snarled. "A brain."

"Common sense," George added glaring at the book.

"Tact," Fred said.

"Bravery," George said glancing at Harry, knowing that he went into the chamber.

**He didn't seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him with something remarkably like hatred.**

"I don't blame them," Hermione muttered.

**Snape stepped forward.**

" **Just the man," he said. "The very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last."**

Some of the students looked amused but everyone was too worried to laugh.

**Lockhart blanched.**

Harry rolled his eyes, "Idiot."

" **That's right, Gilderoy," chipped in Professor Sprout. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"**

" **I — well, I —"sputtered Lockhart.**

" **Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?" piped up Professor Flitwick.**

" **D-did I? I don't recall —"**

"He's very brave isn't he?" Euan said in disgust.

" **I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested," said Snape. "Didn't you say that the whole affair had been bungled and that you should have been given a free rein from the first?"**

The tension broke slightly with the dressing down of Lockhart.

"Who knew the teachers could be so funny?" Lee asked.

**Lockhart stared around at his stony-faced colleagues.**

" **I — I really never — you may have misunderstood —"**

Fred and George couldn't resist snorting.

" **We'll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy," said Professor McGonagall. "Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone's out of your way. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free rein at last."**

"I'm surprised he didn't have a heart attack right then and there," Ron muttered to Harry.

**Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue. He didn't look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak-chinned and feeble.**

The girls who had crushes on him at one point felt disgusted.

" **V-very well," he said. "I'll — I'll be in my office, getting — getting ready."**

**And he left the room.**

" **Right," said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared, "that's got him out from under our feet. The Heads of Houses should go and inform their students what has happened. Tell them the Hogwarts Express will take them home first thing tomorrow. Will the rest of you please make sure no students have been left outside their dormitories."**

"You should come out now and tell them," Kingsley said.

"I was in shock," Ron said in a glum tone.

"I couldn't believe what had happened," Harry said. "I was sort of frozen."

**The teachers rose and left, one by one.**

**It was probably the worst day of Harry's entire life.**

Harry sighed internally. _'If only that was still the worst.'_ Cedric dying, Voldemort rising again, the agonizing pain caused by the cruciatus curse and hearing his parents final moments flashed through his mind.

**He, Ron, Fred, and George sat together in a corner of the Gryffindor common room, unable to say anything to each other.**

"I couldn't even think of anything to say," Fred said looking at Ginny.

"I felt hollow," George said solemnly. "I kept thinking back to the last time I saw Ginny...I thought that would be the last time I'd ever see her."

A sob escaped Molly and she clung tighter to Arthur.

**Percy wasn't there. He had gone to send an owl to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, then shut himself up in his dormitory.**

Percy looked down. "I couldn't stand to be around anyone...I felt as if Ginny being taken had been my fault."

"It wasn't," Ginny said quietly looking down at the table.

Everyone took it as a good sign that Ginny was talking, even though it was only two words.

**No afternoon ever lasted as long as that one, nor had Gryffindor Tower ever been so crowded, yet so quiet.**

"I couldn't think of anything to say," Alicia said. "I felt so bad, but I didn't know how to comfort anyone."

"Fred and George were miserable," Angelina said. "Harry and Ron looked depressed and everyone else was terrified."

**Near sunset, Fred and George went up to bed, unable to sit there any longer.**

"We went up there to cry," George muttered so only those around him could hear.

Ginny squeezed her brothers' hands tighter and leaned her head onto George's shoulder.

" **She knew something, Harry," said Ron, speaking for the first time since they had entered the wardrobe in the staff room. "That's why she was taken. It wasn't some stupid thing about Percy at all. She'd found out something about the Chamber of Secrets. That must be why she was —" Ron rubbed his eyes frantically. "I mean, she was a pure-blood. There can't be any other reason."**

"That wasn't the only reason," Harry muttered to himself. He couldn't help but feel guilty about Ginny being taken and Hermione being petrified.

**Harry could see the sun sinking, blood-red, below the skyline. This was the worst he had ever felt. If only there was something they could do. Anything.**

" **Harry," said Ron. "D'you think there's any chance at all she's not — you know —"**

**Harry didn't know what to say. He couldn't see how Ginny could still be alive.**

"Thanks, Harry," Ron said quietly. "I wouldn't have been able to handle it if you would've told me she was dead, I would've had a breakdown."

Harry didn't know what to say so he just nodded.

" **D'you know what?" said Ron. "I think we should go and see Lockhart. Tell him what we know. He's going to try and get into the Chamber. We can tell him where we think it is, and tell him it's a basilisk in there."**

The hall once more fell silent and Ron was sent looks of utter disbelief.

"You choose to go to that idiot instead of an actual teacher?" Tonks asked slowly as if she was talking to an infant.

Ron turned red. "I was twelve," he said in his defence.

**Because Harry couldn't think of anything else to do, and because he wanted to be doing something, he agreed.**

"That's understandable," Susan said quietly.

**The Gryffindors around them were so miserable, and felt so sorry for the Weasleys, that nobody tried to stop them as they got up, crossed the room, and left through the portrait hole.**

The adults looked at the Gryffindors in exasperation.

"There was a monster on the loose and a student had just been taken," McGonagall said. "Yet you let two second years go out alone?"

The Gryffindors fourth year and up moved guiltily.

**Darkness was falling as they walked down to Lockhart's office. There seemed to be a lot of activity going on inside it. They could hear scraping, thumps, and hurried footsteps.**

"I'm surprised he's still there," Anthony said.

**Harry knocked and there was a sudden silence from inside. Then the door opened the tiniest crack and they saw one of Lockhart's eyes peering through it.**

"What did he think that the monster would knock?" Lee asked amused.

Harry couldn't help but snort. "Probably."

" **Oh — Mr Potter — Mr Weasley —" he said, opening the door a bit wider. "I'm rather busy at the moment —if you would be quick —"**

" **Professor, we've got some information for you," said Harry. "We think it'll help you."**

" **Er — well — it's not terribly —" The side of Lockhart's face that they could see looked very uncomfortable. "I mean — well — all right —"**

**He opened the door and they entered.**

"I'm actually surprised that he let us in," Ron whispered to Harry.

Harry scowled and whispered so only Ron could hear," He probably thought we'd give him some crucial information, and then he could obliviate us and take all the credit."

**His office had been almost completely stripped. Two large trunks stood open on the floor. Robes, jade-green, lilac, midnight blue, had been hastily folded into one of them; books were jumbled untidily into the other. The photographs that had covered the walls were now crammed into boxes on the desk.**

"I can't believe he was just going to run!" Romilda exclaimed.

"I can." Half of the male population muttered.

" **Are you going somewhere?" said Harry.**

"You figured out the clues to how the victims were petrified yet you didn't notice that he was running?" Dean asked.

"I had a lot on my mind," Harry defended.

" **Er, well, yes," said Lockhart, ripping a life-size poster of himself from the back of the door as he spoke and starting to roll it up. "Urgent call — unavoidable — got to go —"**

"Yeah right," Andrew said as he rolled his eyes.

" **What about my sister?" said Ron jerkily.**

" **Well, as to that — most unfortunate —" said Lockhart, avoiding their eyes as he wrenched open a drawer and started emptying the contents into a bag. "No one regrets more than I —**

The Weasley's, Harry, Hermione and Ginny's friends looked murderous.

The teachers looked at the book in disgust.

"Leaving a little girl to die is despicable!" Fleur hissed before saying something in French.

" **You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" said Harry. "You can't go now! Not with all the Dark stuff going on here!"**

"I can't believe that man was teaching students," Tonks muttered.

" **Well — I must say — when I took the job —" Lockhart muttered, now piling socks on top of his robes. "Nothing in the job description — didn't expect —"**

"He was a teacher!" Flitwick yelled which startled a few people; he looked madder than any of the students can remember him being. "It's a teacher's duty to protect the students; it shouldn't have to be in the job description!"

"And he's the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Jack said. "If anyone should be expected to be able to protect the students it would be that teacher."

Harry glanced at Umbridge and had to suppress a snort.

" **You mean you're running away?" said Harry disbelievingly. "After all that stuff you did in your books-"**

"I don't know why I was so surprised," Harry said more to himself than anyone else.

" **Books can be misleading," said Lockhart delicately.**

"What does that mean?" Sue Li asked having a bad feeling about it.

" **You wrote them!" Harry shouted.**

"He might've written them but I'll face a dragon without a wand if he actually did any of those things," Charlie growled.

" **My dear boy," said Lockhart, straightening up and frowning at Harry. "Do use your common sense. My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things.**

Looks of disgust, disbelief and annoyance were sent towards the book.

"So he never did any of those things?" A first-year Slytherin asked.

"No," Ron spat.

**No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all. And the witch who banished the Bandon Banshee had a harelip. I mean, come on —"**

"That's horrible!" Hannah said clasping a hand to her mouth.

"Why don't the people who really did those things come forward?" Leanne asked.

"I don't think I want to know," Anthony said.

" **So you've just been taking credit for what a load of other people have done?" said Harry incredulously.**

" **Harry, Harry," said Lockhart, shaking his head impatiently, "it's not nearly as simple as that. There was work involved. I had to track these people down. Ask them exactly how they managed to do what they did. Then I had to put a Memory Charm on them so they wouldn't remember doing it.**

"That's illegal!" Most of the students in the hall yelled.

"I can't believe he'd do something like that," Megan Jones said. "I knew he was a fraud but I never thought he'd obliviate people, that's horrible!"

The Aurors exchanged looks, all thinking of different crimes to charge him with. Amelia was quickly making a note on her clipboard.

**If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my Memory Charms. No, it's been a lot of work, Harry. It's not all book signings and publicity photos, you know. You want fame; you have to be prepared for a long hard slog."**

"How exactly is obliviating actual heroes' hard work?" Tonks demanded.

**He banged the lids of his trunks shut and locked them.**

" **Let's see," he said. "I think that's everything. Yes. Only one thing left."**

**He pulled out his wand and turned to them.**

" **Awfully sorry, boys, but I'll have to put a Memory Charm on you now. Can't have you blabbing my secrets all over the place. I'd never sell another book —"**

"What?" Everyone yelled with the exception of the trio and Dumbledore, although Dumbledore did look angry, and his twinkle was absent from his eyes.

"He tried to obliviate you?" Molly shrieked jumping out of Arthur's arms.

"Potter! Weasley!" McGonagall yelled. "Why didn't you tell us that he tried to obliviate you?"

"It didn't seem important seeing how everything turned out," Harry told her.

"What does that mean?" Arthur asked furiously, he wanted to strangle Lockhart for trying to strangle his son and a boy who was like a son to him.

Harry and Ron exchanged looks.

"If we keep reading everything will be answered," Harry said.

Nobody looked happy with that answer but the reading continued.

**Harry reached his wand just in time. Lockhart had barely raised his, when Harry bellowed, "Expelliarmus!"**

"A second year was faster with a spell than Lockhart?" Moody said. "You hired that fool, Albus?"

Dumbledore's twinkle still wasn't back when he answered. "As I said before, he was the only applicant that year."

"The students would've been better off without a teacher that year," Moody grunted.

**Lockhart was blasted backwards, falling over his trunk; his wand flew high into the air; Ron caught it, and flung it out of the open window.**

Smirks were plastered on half the faces in the hall, some of the earlier tension gone.

"Serves that git right," Dean said.

"Wouldn't it have been better to keep his wand?" Neville asked.

"No." Harry and Ron both answered immediately.

They were given some odd looks for their quick answer but said nothing else.

" **Shouldn't have let Professor Snape teach us that one," said Harry furiously,**

Snape couldn't stop the smug feeling he felt at having taught Harry a spell that saved his life, more than once if he counted this past June.

**kicking Lockhart's trunk aside. Lockhart was looking up at him, feeble once more. Harry was still pointing his wand at him.**

"Good," Remus snarled, beyond angry that Lockhart would try to obliviate his cub and Ron. "Keep your wand trained on him."

" **What d'you want me to do?" said Lockhart weakly. "I don't know where the Chamber of Secrets is. There's nothing I can do."**

"Took him long enough to admit the truth," Charlie snarled.

" **You're in luck," said Harry, forcing Lockhart to his feet at wand point. "We think we know where it is. And what's inside it. Let's go."**

Groans were heard all around the hall.

"Why would you take him?" Lavender asked.

"After the devil's snare incident at the end of my first year I didn't want Ron or I to go down there first," Harry said.

No one could fault him for that, the teachers sure couldn't. If they had to pick between a fraud who tried to obliviate two students or two innocent second years getting hurt, they'd pick the fraud.

**They marched Lockhart out of his office and down the nearest stairs, along the dark corridor where the messages shone on the wall, to the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.**

**They sent Lockhart in first. Harry was pleased to see that he was shaking.**

Harry smirked at the memory.

 **Moaning Myrtle was sitting on the tank of the end toilet.** " **Oh, it's you," she said when she saw Harry. "What do you want this time?"**

" **To ask you how you died," said Harry.**

Hermione moaned. "Honestly Harry, I thought you had more tact than that."

"We didn't have a lot of time," Harry told her. "And she didn't seem to mind."

"I know," Hermione said, remembering what Harry had told him about Myrtle once she had been unpetrified. "But you couldn't have known that."

Harry shrugged.

**Myrtle's whole aspect changed at once. She looked as though she had never been asked such a flattering question.**

"Seriously?" Cormac asked incredulously. "How would anyone consider that flattering?"

"She's a ghost," Cormac's best friend said. "Who knows how ghosts think, they also celebrate the day they died remember?"

" **Ooooh, it was dreadful," she said with relish.**

Some people looked sick.

**"It happened right in here. I died in this very stall. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then —" Myrtle swelled importantly, her face shining. "I died."**

"That was anticlimactic," Fred said. "When I die I want to go down in a huge battle with screaming and explosions."

"Frederick Weasley don't you dare talk about yourself dying!" Molly yelled almost sobbing.

Fred flinched when he saw the looks his brothers were sending him. "Sorry," he mumbled.

" **How?" said Harry.**

" **No idea," said Myrtle in hushed tones.** " **I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes. My whole body sort of seized up, and then I was floating away…"** **She looked dreamily at Harry. "And then I came back again. I was determined to haunt Olive Hornby, you see. Oh, she was sorry she'd ever laughed at my glasses."**

"She came back to haunt her school rival?" Demelza said dryly.

" **Where exactly did you see the eyes?" said Harry.**

" **Somewhere there," said Myrtle, pointing vaguely toward the sink in front of her toilet.**

**Harry and Ron hurried over to it. Lockhart was standing well back, a look of utter terror on his face.**

**It looked like an ordinary sink. They examined every inch of it, inside and out, including the pipes below. And then Harry saw it: Scratched on the side of one of the copper taps was a tiny snake.**

Looks of disbelief were sent at the book.

"Salazar Slytherin put the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets in a girl's bathroom," George said trying to keep a straight face

The Slytherins looked scandalized.

"Why would he do that?" Lily Moon asked wrinkling her nose.

"Well, for starters it's a place no one would suspect a secret entrance to be," Blaise Zabini pointed out.

"Maybe it wasn't always a girl's bathroom," Theodore Nott suggested.

"Even if it wasn't always a girl's bathroom, it was at least a bathroom," Blaise said. "The entrance in a sink after all."

"That's true," Theo murmured.

" **That tap's never worked," said Myrtle brightly as he tried to turn it.**

" **Harry," said Ron. "Say something. Something in Parseltongue."**

"It's not as easy as it looks," Harry said. "I can't just say something."

"If you spoke it often it would come naturally," Professor Vector told him.

Harry blanched, parseltongue reminded him of Voldemort. "I think I'll pass."

" **But —" Harry thought hard. The only times he'd ever managed to speak Parseltongue were when he'd been faced with a real snake. He stared hard at the tiny engraving, trying to imagine it was real.**

" **Open up," he said.**

**He looked at Ron, who shook his head.**

" **English," he said.**

**Harry looked back at the snake, willing himself to believe it was alive. If he moved his head, the candlelight made it look as though it were moving.**

" **Open up," he said.**

**Except that the words weren't what he heard; a strange hissing had escaped him,**

"At the duelling club you said you couldn't tell you were speaking a different language," Percy said frowning. "How come you could hear yourself hissing then?"

"It's because I was listening for it," Harry told him.

**and at once the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. Next second, the sink began to move; the sink, in fact, sank, right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe wide enough for a man to slide into.**

People were looking at the book in awe.

"That sounds wicked!" Dennis exclaimed.

"It would be amazing to go down into the chamber," Oliver Rivers said.

Snape looked over at Harry, wondering if he would take him into the chamber. He almost slapped himself at the absurdity of the thought. _'Potter would never take me down there unless Albus made him.'_ He looked at Dumbledore. _'I'll have a word with Albus later.'_

**Harry heard Ron gasp and looked up again. He had made up his mind what he was going to do.**

" **I'm going down there," he said.**

"Of course you are," Remus said dryly

"I had to go down there," Harry said. "Ginny was down there."

"You could've gone and got an adult," Remus told him.

"We didn't have time," Harry said stubbornly.

Remus knew it was no use arguing so he dropped the subject, but he made a mental note to talk to him later.

**He couldn't not go, not now they had found the entrance to the Chamber, not if there was even the faintest, slimmest, wildest chance that Ginny might be alive.**

People were sending Harry quick glances.

McGonagall looked at Harry and felt pride swell inside of her.

"He's really brave," Hannah whispered to Susan.

**There was a pause.**

" **Well, you hardly seem to need me," said Lockhart, with a shadow of his old smile. "I'll just —"**

Growls and quiet swearing were heard.

**He put his hand on the doorknob, but Ron and Harry both pointed their wands at him.**

" **You can go first," Ron snarled.**

**White-faced and wandless, Lockhart approached the opening.**

Moody shook his scarred head in disgust.

" **Boys," he said his voice feeble. "Boys, what good will it do?"**

"Better you than my brothers," Charlie growled.

Harry felt a sense of belonging when Charlie called him his brother.

**Harry jabbed him in the back with his wand. Lockhart slid his legs into the pipe.**

" **I really don't think —" he started to say, but Ron gave him a push, and he slid out of sight.**

"Good job Ron," Dean said seriously.

**Harry followed quickly. He lowered himself slowly into the pipe, then let go.**

"Why do you always seem to be jumping into dark holes without knowing what's at the bottom?" Remus asked exasperated.

Harry looked sheepish. "At least I didn't go first this time."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Remus asked more to himself than to Harry.

**It was like rushing down an endless, slimy, dark slide. He could see more pipes branching off in all directions, but none as large as theirs, which twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward, and he knew that he was falling deeper below the school than even the dungeons.**

"That's really deep," Justin pointed out the obvious.

**Behind him he could hear Ron, thudding slightly at the curves.**

"It would've been fun if I wasn't so scared and miserable," Ron whispered to Harry.

**And then, just as he had begun to worry about what would happen when he hit the ground,**

"You wait until after you're halfway down the dark creepy slide to worry about what will happen when you hit the bottom?" Tonks asked in faint amusement, she was trying to lighten the mood.

A few weak chuckles were heard but the atmosphere was still tense.

**the pipe levelled out, and he shot out of the end with a wet thud, landing on the damp floor of a dark stone tunnel large enough to stand in. Lockhart was getting to his feet a little ways away, covered in slime and white as a ghost. Harry stood aside as Ron came whizzing out of the pipe, too.**

" **We must be miles under the school," said Harry, his voice echoing in the black tunnel.**

" **Under the lake, probably," said Ron, squinting around at the dark, slimy walls.**

"Under the lake?" Several people asked.

"That's beyond deep," Ernie said.

**All three of them turned to stare into the darkness ahead.**

" **Lumos!" Harry muttered to his wand and it lit again. "C'mon," he said to Ron and Lockhart, and off they went, their footsteps slapping loudly on the wet floor.**

**The tunnel was so dark that they could only see a little distance ahead. Their shadows on the wet walls looked monstrous in the wand light.**

" **Remember," Harry said quietly as they walked cautiously forward, "any sign of movement, close your eyes right away…"**

"It would most likely be too late by the time you closed your eyes," Moody said.

"Alastor!" The adults yelled.

"What?" Moody said gruffly. "It's the truth, there's no point in denying it.

**But the tunnel was quiet as the grave, and the first unexpected sound they heard was a loud crunch as Ron stepped on what turned out to be a rat's skull.**

"Ew." Parvarti and Lavender squealed.

"If only that would've been Wormtail," Ron hissed to Harry.

**Harry lowered his wand to look at the floor and saw that it was littered with small animal bones.**

Some of the girls were starting to look sick.

**Trying very hard not to imagine what Ginny might look like if they found her,**

Everyone in the hall paled, some looked green. The Weasley's all looked horrified and Molly let out another sob.

Hermione quickly grabbed one of Harry's and one of Ron's hands.

Ginny buried her head deeper into George's shoulder and Fred rubbed circles on her back.

Harry looked at the Slytherin table and noticed that Draco even looked sick. _'Maybe there's hope for Malfoy after all.'_

**Harry led the way forward, around a dark bend in the tunnel.**

" **Harry — there's something up there —" said Ron hoarsely, grabbing Harry's shoulder.**

The room was tense; everybody was leaning forward wanting to know what happened next.

**They froze, watching. Harry could just see the outline of something huge and curved, lying right across the tunnel. It wasn't moving.**

"Is it dead?" Dennis asked weakly.

"I don't think so," Colin told him.

" **Maybe it's asleep," he breathed, glancing back at the other two. Lockhart's hands were pressed over his eyes. Harry turned back to look at the thing, his heart beating so fast it hurt.**

**Very slowly, his eyes as narrow as he could make them and still see, Harry edged forward, his wand held high.**

"It doesn't matter if your eyes are squinting," Moody barked. "If you look in its eyes you're dead!"

"Thank you, Alastor!" McGonagall snapped. She doesn't like anyone talking about one of her lions dying.

**The light slid over a gigantic snakeskin, of vivid, poisonous green, lying curled and empty across the tunnel floor. The creature that had shed it must have been twenty feet long at least.**

"20 feet long?" Several people shouted.

"Wait I thought you said they were between fifty and seventy feet," Euan said looking at Charlie.

A pale Charlie answered. "They are, that must only be part of its skin."

" **Blimey," said Ron weakly.**

**There was a sudden movement behind them. Gilderoy Lockhart's knees had given way.**

Draco sneered at the book. "Pathetic."

No one not even Harry or Ron could disagree with his statement.

" **Get up," said Ron sharply, pointing his wand at Lockhart.**

**Lockhart got to his feet — then he dived at Ron, knocking him to the ground.**

"No!" Most of the hall yelled.

"You shouldn't have brought him along," Tonks sighed. "He's just going to be a liability."

**Harry jumped forward, but too late — Lockhart was straightening up, panting, Ron's wand in his hand and a gleaming smile back on his face.**

"If he so much as thinks about obliviating you two..." Arthur said letting the threat hang in the air.

" **The adventure ends here, boys!" he said. "I shall take a bit of this skin back up to the school, tell them I was too late to save the girl, and that you two tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body**

All the Weasleys flinched and more people turned green.

— **say good-bye to your memories!"**

**He raised Ron's Spellotaped wand high over his head and yelled, "Obliviate!"**

Those who realized that he was using a broken wand smirked.

**The wand exploded with the force of a small bomb. Harry flung his arms over his head and ran, slipping over the coils of snakeskin, out of the way of great chunks of tunnel ceiling that were thundering to the floor. Next moment, he was standing alone, gazing at a solid wall of broken rock.**

"No!" Almost everyone yelled.

"Ron?" Bill asked quickly looking at his youngest brother worried.

"I was fine," Ron assured him.

" **Ron!" he shouted. "Are you okay? Ron!"**

" **I'm here!" came Ron's muffled voice from behind the rockfall. "I'm okay — this git's not, though — he got blasted by the wand —"**

People could help but snort, the idiot brought it upon himself.

"It's his own fault," Wayne said.

**There was a dull thud and a loud "ow!" It sounded as though Ron had just kicked Lockhart in the shins.**

"Did you?" Fred and George asked amused.

"Yes," Ron smirked. "A couple of times."

" **What now?" Ron's voice said, sounding desperate. "We can't get through — it'll take ages…"**

**Harry looked up at the tunnel ceiling. Huge cracks had appeared in it. He had never tried to break apart anything as large as these rocks by magic, and now didn't seem a good moment to try — what if the whole tunnel caved in?**

"Don't do it," Remus said worriedly.

"I didn't," Harry told him.

**There was another thud and another "ow!" from behind the rocks. They were wasting time. Ginny had already been in the Chamber of Secrets for hours… Harry knew there was only one thing to do.**

" **Wait there," he called to Ron. "Wait with Lockhart. I'll go on… If I'm not back in an hour…"**

No one said anything, they've known for half a chapter he was going into the chamber, there was nothing they could do. The thing keeping everyone from freaking out was the fact that Harry, Ron and Ginny were sitting in the great hall perfectly fine.

**There was a very pregnant pause, "I'll try and shift some of this rock," said Ron, who seemed to be trying to keep his voice steady. "So you can — can get back through. And, Harry —"**

" **See you in a bit," said Harry, trying to inject some confidence into his shaking voice.**

"It worked a little bit," Ron told him.

**And he set off alone past the giant snakeskin.**

**Soon the distant noise of Ron straining to shift the rocks was gone. The tunnel turned and turned again. Every nerve in Harry's body was tingling unpleasantly. He wanted the tunnel to end, yet dreaded what he'd find when it did. And then, at last, as he crept around yet another bend, he saw a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.**

"The real entrance to the chamber," Warrington said.

"Now that sounds like Salazar Slytherin," Urquhart stated.

**Harry approached his throat very dry. There was no need to pretend these stone snakes were real; their eyes looked strangely alive.**

"They're most likely some form of charm on them," Hermione told Harry. "If you wouldn't have spoken in parseltongue they probably would've attacked."

"That's nice to know," Harry said dryly.

**He could guess what he had to do. He cleared his throat, and the emerald eyes seemed to flicker.**

" **Open," said Harry, in a low, faint hiss.**

**The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight, and Harry, shaking from head to foot, walked inside.**

"The chapter is over," Snape said as he closed the book.

"I think it would be best if I were to read the next chapter," Dumbledore said as he grabbed the book and opened to the correct page.

Harry was receiving scared and worried looks but he ignored all of them. He was wondering what everyone would think once they found out Voldemort was a half-blood. The one thing he definitely wasn't looking forward to was what people's responses would be to him being bitten by the basilisk, he'd probably have to see Madam Pomfrey, and he barely refrained from groaning.

The room went deathly silent and completely still as Dumbledore cleared his throat and began to read.


	17. Heir of Slytherin

**"The Heir of Slytherin,"** Dumbledore read out to the hall.

"We'll finally know who the heir was," Susan said.

Ginny whimpered but only her family, Harry and Hermione noticed. They all sent her supportive looks and the twins tightened their hold on her.

**He was standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place.**

"That sounds creepy," Hannah said as she shivered.

"That doesn't sound like a very nice place," Leanne said.

"Honestly if it was cleaned up it wouldn't be bad," Harry told them.

"Too bad you have to be a parseltongue to get down there," Ron said.

Hermione's eyes widened slightly, Harry and Ron both noticed.

"What's wrong?" Harry whispered.

"If we ever needed a place to hide or hold meetings," Hermione said quietly so only Harry and Ron could hear. "We could use the chamber."

"We use the Room of Requirement," Ron told her.

"I know," Hermione said. "But if someone we didn't want to know about it found out, like Umbridge or Malfoy, then we could go down there. Harry would be able to take us."

Harry looked thoughtful for a few seconds. "If we cleaned it up it could work."

Hermione made a mental note to talk about going down there with Harry later.

**His heart beating very fast, Harry stood listening to the chill silence. Could the basilisk be lurking in a shadowy corner, behind a pillar? And where was Ginny?**

**He pulled out his wand**

"Why wasn't it out already?" Moody barked. "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Harry mentally smacked himself, it had been ridiculously stupid and careless to not already have his wand out.

**and moved forward between the serpentine columns. Every careful footstep echoed loudly off the shadowy walls.**

"That's not good," Charlie said worriedly. "The basilisk would be able to hear you coming."

"Slytherin probably designed it that way," Bill pointed out.

**He kept his eyes narrowed, ready to clamp them shut at the smallest sign of movement. The hollow eye sockets of the stone snakes seemed to be following him. More than once, with a jolt of the stomach, he thought he saw one stir.**

"You were probably just seeing things," Hermione told him. "You were worried so your imagination ran wild."

**Then, as he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall.**

**Harry had to crane his neck to look up into the giant face above: It was ancient and monkeyish,**

A few people snorted.

"Is that Salazar Slytherin?" Romilda asked.

"Most likely yes," Dumbledore answered before going back to the book.

**with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous grey feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor. And between the feet, face down, lay a small, black-robed figure with flaming-red hair.**

"Ginny." All the Weasley's whispered.

"Why is she just laying there?" Molly asked frantically clutching at Arthur.

Bill and Charlie felt horrible for not knowing that their sister had been in serious danger.

George whispered assurance to his sister and Fred continued to rub circles on her back.

" **Ginny!" Harry muttered, sprinting to her and dropping to his knees. "Ginny — don't be dead — please don't be dead—"**

Tears began flowing down Molly's face as she tried her hardest not to break down into full out sobs.

Tears began to well up in Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Ron and the twins' eyes.

Percy just stared at the table _I should've been able to protect her_

Hermione's eyes were red and her nails began to dig into Harry and Ron's hands.

**He flung his wand aside,**

Groans echoed throughout the hall.

"You don't fling your wand aside!" Moody barked. "I thought you were smart! Your wand is your only means of protection!"

"Now is not the time Alastor!" McGonagall hissed, although she too wanted to lecture Harry about keeping his wand on him at all times.

"Believe me," Harry sighed. "I learned my lesson."

Tonks groaned, "I don't like the sound of that." Tonks grabbed Remus' hand, he was so worried that he didn't even notice.

**grabbed Ginny's shoulders, and turned her over. Her face was white as marble, and as cold, yet her eyes were closed, so she wasn't Petrified. But then she must be…**

"I thought she was dead," Harry said quietly. "I was terrified...she was just laying there so cold and lifeless...I thought I was going to have to go back to Ron and tell him that I wasn't quick enough to save his sister."

"It wouldn't have been your fault," Ron said trying to stop his voice from shaking. "And that didn't happen so it doesn't matter."

" **Ginny, please wake up," Harry muttered desperately, shaking her. Ginny's head lolled hopelessly from side to side.**

Tears were now flowing freely from all of the Weasley men.

The girls in the hall were silently crying, while the boys looked embarrassed at all of the emotion but scared for Harry and Ginny at the same time. Even the majority of the Slytherins felt bad for them.

" **She won't wake," said a soft voice.**

"Who's there?" Dean asked quickly.

"Is that the heir?" Roger Davies asked.

**Harry jumped and spun around on his knees.**

**A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching. He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though Harry were looking at him through a misted window.**

"He was blurred?" Lisa said.

"That doesn't make any sense," Padma frowned.

**But there was no mistaking him.**

" **Tom — Tom Riddle?"**

"What?" Everyone yelled they were all confused.

"Tom Riddle as in the sixteen-year-old from fifty years ago?" Bill asked looking away from his sister for the first time since the chapter started.

"How the hell is that possible?" Charlie demanded.

"But...he'd be almost sixty," Mandy said.

"It will be explained," Harry sighed.

"How the hell can that be explained?" Tonks asked she had no idea how that was possible.

**Riddle nodded, not taking his eyes off Harry's face.**

Harry flinched slightly but no one noticed.

" **What d'you mean, she won't wake?" Harry said desperately. "She's not — she's not —?"**

" **She's still alive," said Riddle. "But only just."**

"How can he be so calm?" Susan asked wiping at the tears that leaked from her eyes.

"Why is he just standing there?" Hannah asked.

**Harry stared at him. Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, yet here he stood, a weird, misty light shining about him, not a day older than sixteen.**

"There's something about that weird misty light," Remus pointed out. "That's the second time that it has been mentioned."

"Is he a ghost?" Parvarti asked.

"No," Remus frowned. "Ghosts don't look like that...he can't be a ghost."

" **Are you a ghost?" Harry said uncertainly.**

" **A memory," said Riddle quietly. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years."**

"That doesn't make sense," Terry said. "Memories can't come to life. You can view them in a pensive but a memory can't just become corporeal."

**He pointed toward the floor near the statue's giant toes. Lying open there was the little black diary Harry had found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. For a second, Harry wondered how it had got there— but there were more pressing matters to deal with.**

" **You've got to help me, Tom," Harry said, raising Ginny's head again. "We've got to get her out of here. There's a basilisk…**

"I forgot about the snake," Dean said.

"How can you forget about a giant snake?" Seamus asked his best friend incredulously.

"I was focusing on that Riddle guy," Dean told him.

**I don't know where it is, but it could be along any moment… Please, help me."**

"If he was going to help you he would've by now," Fleur said frowning as she squeezed Bill's hand.

**Riddle didn't move. Harry, sweating, managed to hoist Ginny half off the floor, and bent to pick up his wand again.**

**But his wand had gone.**

"What?" Echoed around the hall.

"I told you," Moody grunted quietly, only those to either side of him heard, and they both glared at the ex-Auror.

"Where did it go?" Jimmy asked.

"The only other person there is..." Jack trailed off with wide eyes.

"Riddle," Jimmy finished for him, his eyes going as wide as Jack's.

" **Did you see —?"**

**He looked up. Riddle was still watching him — twirling Harry's wand between his long fingers.**

A bad feeling was creeping over the hall.

"I don't like this Riddle guy," Justin said.

" **Thanks," said Harry, stretching out his hand for it.**

"You didn't actually think he'd just hand it over did you?" Zacharias sneered.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I thought he was trying to help me."

**A smile curled the corners of Riddle's mouth. He continued to stare at Harry, twirling the wand idly.**

"He's creepy," Hannah mumbled.

" **Listen," said Harry urgently, his knees sagging with Ginny's dead weight. "We've got to go! If the basilisk comes —"**

" **It won't come until it is called," said Riddle calmly.**

"Of course he was calm," Ron muttered angrily under his breath. "He had nothing to bloody fear."

**Harry lowered Ginny back onto the floor, unable to hold her up any longer.**

"Ginny is going to kill you for that later," Fred said trying to break the tension.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I was twelve, she could've weighed fifty pounds and I wouldn't have been able to hold her anymore.

" **What d'you mean?" he said. "Look, give me my wand, I might need it —"**

Looks of disbelief were once again directed at Harry.

"I can't believe you thought he would help you," Cormac said shaking his head.

Harry scowled. He was twelve like they would've thought any different at that age.

**Riddle's smile broadened.**

" **You won't be needing it," he said.**

"You're right," Harry muttered to himself. "I kicked your arrogant ass without it."

**Harry stared at him.**

" **What d'you mean, I won't be —?"**

" **I've waited a long time for this, Harry Potter," said Riddle. "For the chance to see you. To speak to you."**

"What?" Echoed around the hall.

"Why does he want to speak to Harry?" Neville asked worried for his friend.

"What does he mean, he's waited for a long time?" Charlie demanded.

" **Look," said Harry, losing patience, "I don't think you get it. We're in the Chamber of Secrets. We can talk later —"**

More groans were heard and Harry felt a surge of annoyance.

" **We're going to talk now," said Riddle, still smiling broadly, and he pocketed Harry's wand.**

"His talking is what always leads to me escaping," Harry whispered to Hermione and Ron. "If he wasn't so arrogant I'd probably be dead by now."

Hermione and Ron both blanched at the thought of Harry being dead.

"Well then it's a good thing that he's arrogant," Ron muttered.

**Harry stared at him. There was something very funny going on here…**

"Took you long enough," Zacharias said arrogantly.

"I was bloody twelve!" Harry snapped. "And that entire conversation took less than a minute. I thought Tom Riddle was a nice sixteen-year-old who had made a mistake in blaming Hagrid. I'd like to see you do better in my position."

"Harry's right," Tonks said shooting a glare at the pompous Hufflepuff. "It would take most people in that situation longer to figure out that something was wrong, and not all twelve-year-olds would even notice."

" **How did Ginny get like this?" he asked slowly.**

" **Well, that's an interesting question," said Riddle pleasantly.**

"Pleasantly?" Bill snarled. "How can anyone find something horrible happening to an eleven year old pleasant?"

**"And quite a long story. I suppose the real reason Ginny Weasley's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger."**

"What?" Everyone asked in shock.

" **What are you talking about?" said Harry.**

" **The diary," said Riddle. "My diary. Little Ginny's been writing in it for months and months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes —**

"Ginny," Charlie moaned. "You didn't find it odd that it was talking back to you?"

Ginny whimpered and Charlie sighed.

**how her brothers tease her,**

The six Weasley boys flinched.

**how she had to come to school with secondhand robes and books,**

Molly and Arthur exchanged sad looks.

 _'I wish I could give more to my family.'_ Arthur thought as he rubbed Molly's lower back.

**how —" Riddle's eyes glinted "— how she didn't think famous, good, great Harry Potter would ever like her…"**

Ginny groaned and spoke for the first time in a while. "I can't believe he told you that."

"Harry already knew you liked him," Ron said tactlessly.

"Ronald!" Molly yelled.

Ron flinched. "Sorry!"

**All the time he spoke, Riddle's eyes never left Harry's face. There was an almost hungry look in them.**

Snuffles growled. _'Stay away from him.'_

**"It's very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven-year-old girl," he went on.**

"She isn't silly," Bill ground out.

**"But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind. Ginny simply loved me. No one's ever understood me like you, Tom… I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in… It's like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket…"**

"He's sick!" Angelina spat.

**Riddle laughed, a high, cold laugh that didn't suit him. It made the hairs stand up on the back of Harry's neck.**

"How can he find that funny?" Alicia asked faintly. "That's horrible!"

" **If I say it myself, Harry, I've always been able to charm the people I needed. So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted…**

"What?" Everyone yelled, horror evident in everyone's tone.

"What does he mean her soul?" Bill asked frantically.

"That's how he was becoming corporeal," Terry said wide-eyed. "He was sucking out her soul and using it to make himself a body."

"How is that possible?" Neville spluttered.

Dumbledore sighed. "I am sure we will all know the answer to that by the end of these books."

**I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets.**

Harry's fists clenched, he wanted to strangle Riddle with his bare hands.

**I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into her…"**

"What does that mean?" Michael asked slowly.

Some of the older students realized what Riddle was implying and their eyes widened and they turned to Ginny in shock.

" **What d'you mean?" said Harry, whose mouth had gone very dry.**

" **Haven't you guessed yet, Harry Potter?" said Riddle softly. "Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets.**

"What?" Everyone who hadn't already figured it out yelled.

"No." Bill, Charlie and Percy said staring at their in shock.

"Ginny opened the chamber?" Lily Moon asked.

"Ginny wouldn't do that!" Colin protested.

"I didn't have a choice," Ginny said in a helpless voice causing everyone to gasp.

"You...you did open it?" Colin asked paling.

Umbridge smiled and quickly scribbled on her clipboard, that was the last straw for Harry.

"It wasn't her fault!" Harry yelled sick of all the terrified looks and glares that people were sending towards Ginny. "If you would let Professor Dumbledore read, you'll see what really happened."

It was obvious some people wanted to protest but Harry, Hermione and the Weasley boys were glaring so fiercely at everyone that no one said anything.

**She strangled the school roosters and daubed threatening messages on the walls. She set the Serpent of Slytherin on four Mudbloods, and the Squib's cat."**

Ginny's friends were looking at her in confusion, fear and disbelief.

" **No," Harry whispered.**

**"Yes," said Riddle, calmly. "Of course, she didn't know what she was doing at first.**

"See," Harry said loudly. "She didn't even know she was doing anything wrong, it wasn't her fault."

"Thanks, Harry," Ginny said quietly as her grip on her brothers tightened.

**It was very amusing.**

Looks of repulsion were sent to the book.

A loud sob escaped Molly and Arthur's hands curled into fists.

**I wish you could have seen her new diary entries… far more interesting, they became… Dear Tom," he recited, watching Harry's horrified face, "'I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and I don't know how they got there. Dear Tom, I can't remember what I did on the night of Halloween, but a cat was attacked and I've got paint all down my front.**

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ron asked quietly.

"I was embarrassed," Ginny said honestly. "I was scared at what you might think of me, and you were always with Harry and back then I couldn't talk in front of him..." She trailed off and buried her head in Fred's chest.

**Dear Tom, Percy keeps telling me I'm pale and I'm not myself. I think he suspects me… There was another attack today and I don't know where I was. Tom, what am I going to do? I think I'm going mad… I think I'm the one attacking everyone, Tom!'"**

The Weasley's turned red, they all felt anger boil inside of them.

"He is not taunting my daughter," Molly said in a deathly calm voice. "I will kill him."

Everyone looked at the usually calm Weasley matriarch in shock.

"What?" Molly snapped. "No one messes with my children."

Arthur rubbed her back comfortingly but he too wanted to kill this Riddle boy.

**Harry's fists were clenched, the nails digging deep into his palms.**

"I wanted to punch him," Harry snarled. "He was making me sick."

" **It took a very long time for stupid little Ginny to stop trusting her diary," said Riddle. "But she finally became suspicious and tried to dispose of it.**

"You fought him," Moody said approvingly. "Good girl."

**And that's where you came in, Harry. You found it, and I couldn't have been more delighted. Of all the people who could have picked it up, it was you, the very person I was most anxious to meet…"**

"Why did he want to meet Harry?" Neville asked.

"I told him all about Harry," Ginny admitted.

Neville's eyebrows furrowed. "Why would that make him want to meet Harry? It's not like Harry was alive during his time, Harry's parents weren't even alive then."

Nobody answered which made Neville and everyone else even more curious as to just why Riddle wanted to meet Harry.

" **And why did you want to meet me?" said Harry. Anger was coursing through him, and it was an effort to keep his voice steady.**

"I'm surprised you could keep so calm," Dean said.

"I knew getting angry wouldn't help me or Ginny," Harry told him.

" **Well, you see, Ginny told me all about you, Harry," said Riddle. "Your whole fascinating history." His eyes roved over the lightning scar on Harry's forehead, and their expression grew hungrier.**

"Did he want to talk to you because you survived the killing curse?" Hannah asked but Harry didn't answer.

**"I knew I must find out more about you, talk to you, meet you if I could. So I decided to show you my famous capture of that great oaf, Hagrid, to gain your trust —"**

"He framed an innocent man," Charlie hissed. "I really hate this prat."

**"Hagrid's my friend," said Harry, his voice now shaking. "And you framed him, didn't you? I thought you made a mistake, but —"**

"I really was naive back then," Harry murmured.

**Riddle laughed his high laugh again.**

Harry involuntarily shuddered. Death eaters surrounding him...Voldemort's wand pointing at him...intense pain...pain beyond belief...Voldemort and his death eaters laughter ringing in the night air at the graveyard...He shook the thoughts away and tried to focus on the reading.

" **It was my word against Hagrid's, Harry. Well, you can imagine how it looked to old Armando Dippet. On the one hand, Tom Riddle, poor but brilliant, parentless but so brave, school prefect, model student…**

"Model student?" Ron snorted. "He really did have everyone fooled."

**on the other hand, big, blundering Hagrid, in trouble every other week,**

Hagrid turned red.

**trying to raise werewolf cubs under his bed,**

"You can't raise werewolf cubs," Remus said indignantly.

"I think he meant wolf cubs," Harry told him.

**sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest to wrestle trolls… but I admit, even I was surprised how well the plan worked. I thought someone must realize that Hagrid couldn't possibly be the Heir of Slytherin. It had taken me five whole years to find out everything I could about the Chamber of Secrets and discover the secret entrance…as though Hagrid had the brains, or the power!**

Harry growled. "Hagrid is a million times the man you'll ever be."

**Only the Transfiguration teacher, Dumbledore, seemed to think Hagrid was innocent.**

"Because you couldn't fool Dumbledore," Harry said quietly. "He saw right through you."

**He persuaded Dippet to keep Hagrid and train him as the gamekeeper. Yes, I think Dumbledore might have guessed… Dumbledore never seemed to like me as much as the other teachers did…"**

"I don't blame him," Ron muttered.

" **I bet Dumbledore saw right through you," said Harry, his teeth gritted.**

"Harry," Remus sighed, not wanting Harry to say anything that will make Riddle mad.

" **Well, he certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid was expelled," said Riddle carelessly. "I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school. But I wasn't going to waste those long years I'd spent searching for it. I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work."**

Snorts were heard from most of the hall.

"Noble work?" Charlie spat. "He considers killing and petrifying those who aren't purebloods noble work?"

"After all we've read about this kid this chapter, are you really surprised?" Moody said gruffly.

" **Well, you haven't finished it," said Harry triumphantly. "No one's died this time, not even the cat. In a few hours, the Mandrake Draught will be ready and everyone who was Petrified will be all right again —"**

" **Haven't I already told you," said Riddle quietly, "that killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore?**

"Actually no you never said that," Justin said.

**For many months now, my new target has been — you."**

Everyone looked at Harry who was just staring at the book.

"Why would he want to kill Harry?" Euan asked his friend.

"I don't know," Jack told him.

**Harry stared at him.**

" **Imagine how angry I was when the next time my diary was opened, it was Ginny who was writing to me, not you. She saw you with the diary, you see, and panicked.**

"She poured her heart into that diary," Angelina defended. "Of course she would panic. She probably didn't want Harry to find out everything she had written."

**What if you found out how to work it, and I repeated all her secrets to you? What if, even worse, I told you who'd been strangling roosters? So the foolish little brat waited until your dormitory was deserted and stole it back.**

"You're the one who trashed the Gryffindor common room?" Neville asked shocked.

Ginny didn't say anything, she just nodded.

**But I knew what I must do. It was clear to me that you were on the trail of Slytherin's heir. From everything Ginny had told me about you, I knew you would go to any lengths to solve the mystery — particularly if one of your best friends was attacked.**

"He set me up?" Hermione asked quietly.

"I'm so sorry Hermione," Harry told her quickly. "I would never want you to get hurt."

"It's okay Harry," Hermione assured him. "It isn't your fault, and even if we weren't best friends I'd still be in danger, I am a muggle-born."

"But-" Harry began but Hermione cut him off.

"Harry it isn't your fault," Hermione said sternly, reminding Harry of McGonagall. "I don't blame you, I never have and I never will."

**And Ginny had told me the whole school was buzzing because you could speak Parseltongue…**

"It probably drove him mad," Hermione whispered to Harry. "He thought he was the only parseltongue and then he finds out you can speak it. He was most likely very confused."

"Good," Harry said. "I hope he was."

" **So I made Ginny write her own farewell on the wall and come down here to wait.**

"Oh Ginny," Molly gasped. "My poor baby."

Everyone was sending Ginny sympathetic looks.

"How horrible that must've been," Susan said to Hannah. "I can't even imagine that."

**She struggled and cried and became very boring.**

"Good," Arthur said looking at his daughter with pride. "Fight him."

**But there isn't much life left in her… She put too much into the diary, into me.**

Ginny whimpered against her brother's chest.

It felt as though a physical pain was engulfing Molly's entire body, she felt completely helpless. _'I was sitting in the headmasters' office while my baby was having her soul sucked out and Harry was fighting a crazy memory.'_

**Enough to let me leave its pages at last… I have been waiting for you to appear since we arrived here. I knew you'd come. I have many questions for you, Harry Potter."**

"I don't know if it would be a good idea to answer his questions," Remus frowned. "He'll kill you once you answer them."

"I know," Harry rubbed at his eyed. "But if I didn't answer his questions than Ginny would die."

" **Like what?" Harry spat, fists still clenched.**

**"Well," said Riddle, smiling pleasantly, "how is it that you — a skinny boy with no extraordinary magical talent**

"Harry has a lot of talent!" All of Dumbledore's Army except Zacharias yelled.

Harry turned red and went to protest when Ron intervened.

"Don't even bother denying it mate," Ron told him. "It's true."

— **managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"**

Most of the hall frowned.

"Why would he care about You-Know-Who?" Sally-Anne asked.

Moody and Remus finally put the pieces together. Moody's eyes, both of them, swivelled around before landing on Harry and Remus' eyes widened and he looked at Harry in terror.

**There was an odd red gleam in his hungry eyes now.**

"Red gleam?" Charlie choked out.

" **Why do you care how I escaped?" said Harry slowly. "Voldemort was after your time…"**

" **Voldemort," said Riddle softly, "is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter…"**

Most of the students were confused but a few of the older Ravenclaws understood and their expressions turned to ones of absolute horror.

"No!" Those who figured it out yelled.

"You really need to get out of their Potter," Roger Davies said quickly.

"What's wrong?" A first year Hufflepuff asked quickly.

No one answered so Dumbledore continued to read.

**He pulled Harry's wand from his pocket and began to trace it through the air, writing three shimmering words:**

**TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE**

**Then he waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves:**

**I AM LORD VOLDEMORT**

"No!" Everyone who didn't know yelled.

"He's...he's...You-Know-Who?" Dennis yelled. "You need to get out of there!"

"How is that possible?" Lavender squeaked.

All of the Weasley's minus Ron and Ginny were staring at Harry as though he was a ghost.

"That's...him..." Fred said. "He's there with..."

"You...and Ginny..." George trailed off wide eyed.

Percy felt worse than ever. _'Harry is facing You-Know-Who to save my little sister who's dying, Ron's stuck in a pile of rock. And where am I? I'm locked in my dormitory. What kind of brother am I?'_

Fudge was spluttering trying to comprehend what he just heard. "You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts for a second year?"

"Yes Cornelius," Dumbledore said looking at the minister over his half moon spectacles.

Umbridge was opening and closing her mouth, she was trying to think of a way to prove this a lie.

As Dumbledore continued to read the students sent Harry horrified looks, all scared for what Voldemort would do to him.

The adults sent him sad looks all thinking the same thing, he shouldn't have to go through that. He shouldn't have to face his parents' murderer a second year in a row, especially not at twelve. It makes no difference that You-Know-Who was only a teenager this time.

" **You see?" he whispered. "It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only, of course.**

Harry snorted. "Voldemort doesn't have friends, he has followers."

**Do you think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name forever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through my mother's side?**

"Voldemort's half blood?" Draco yelled looking like someone just told him he'd have to go live with the Weasley's.

Everyone with the exception of those who knew looked shocked.

Harry looked smug. "Yes, he's a half blood, and he's not even the son of a muggleborn and a pureblood he's the son of a pureblood and a muggle."

"But..." Several Slytherins spluttered.

"He wants to kill all the muggleborns and half-bloods when he's half blood himself?" Daphne said. "What a hypocrite."

"I don't believe it," Draco said trying to gain his composure.

Harry rolled his eyes. "He just said it himself, and before you go saying that your father would've told you, he knows, Mr Malfoy was there when he returned. Voldemort said it so all of his death eaters could hear, they know yet they still follow him."

"My father isn't a death eater Potter," Draco hissed.

"Shut it Malfoy," Ron growled. "Your father is a death eater and everyone will know it when we read about Harry's fourth year. I hope you enjoyed your time being rich because soon your daddy will be in jail and all your money will be taken away."

Draco looked furious, and Crabbe and Goyle were cracking their knuckles threateningly.

"How dare you say such horrid lies about someone as upstanding as Lucius Malfoy!" Umbridge shrieked.

Most of the halls occupants rolled their eyes, it was common knowledge that Lucius Malfoy bribed his way out of prison, just no one was dumb enough to go yelling about it.

"That's enough!" Dumbledore said standing up. "Yes, Tom Riddle also known as Lord Voldemort is a half blood. His mother was a pure blood witch by the name of Merope Gaunt and his father was a wealthy muggle by the name of Tom Riddle. Merope used a love potion to get Tom Riddle to fall in love with her, when she fell pregnant she stopped giving him the potion, hoping that he would love her anyway. When the potions wore off he left her, she died giving birth to him, she only lived long enough to name him."

The hall was silent as they listened to Dumbledore talk.

"So You-Know-Who is who he is because he has daddy issues?" Justin asked incredulously. "All those people died, all those families were torn apart over his father leaving his mother."

Dumbledore looked sadly out at the hall. "I am afraid so Mr. Finch-Fletchley."

 _'There is no way I'm bowing down to a half-blood.'_ Draco thought scathingly. _'I need to speak with father, he would have told me. Wouldn't he?'_

Most of the Slytherins were thinking the same thing as Draco, all of them wanted badly to speak to their parents about what they just learned.

Everyone else in the hall was shocked to find out that an entire war, thousands of lives were lost because one man had abandonment issues.

After a few minutes of silence in which everyone processed what they had just learned Dumbledore began to read again.

**I, keep the name of a foul, common Muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch?**

Seamus felt sick, that could've easily been him. _'I have a great father, but he could've been like You-Know-Who's. Would I have turned out the same way?'_

**No, Harry — I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak,**

"What a spectacular goal," Blaise drawled. He never had any intention of joining the Dark Lord, unlike a majority of his housemates.

**when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!"**

Harry growled. "You'll never be the greatest sorcerer in the world."

Hermione looked sadly at her best friend as she held his hand tighter, knowing it must be hard to read this.

**Harry's brain seemed to have jammed. He stared numbly at Riddle, at the orphaned boy who had grown up to murder Harry's own parents, and so many others.**

Those who lost family members or in the case of most of the adults friends in the first war looked sad.

**At last he forced himself to speak.**

"I would've been to scared to speak," Hannah said.

" **You're not," he said, his quiet voice full of hatred.**

Everyone was looking at him in awe or horror.

"I can't believe you're standing up to him," Dennis said looking at Harry in hero worship, which caused Harry to squirm.

The adults were looking at him with pride.

" **Not what?" snapped Riddle.**

" **Not the greatest sorcerer in the world," said Harry, breathing fast. "Sorry to disappoint you and all that, but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore.**

"Thank you Harry," Dumbledore said in his grandfatherly manner.

Harry was still annoyed that Dumbledore wasn't looking at him so he just nodded.

"That's just going to make him mad," Arthur said looking at his honorary son in worry.

**Everyone says so. Even when you were strong, you didn't dare try and take over at Hogwarts.**

"While there is some truth to that," Dumbledore said. "There is more than just me protecting the school, there are very old wards in place that have been here since the time of the founders, and each headmaster has added more."

**Dumbledore saw through you when you were at school and he still frightens you now, wherever you're hiding these days —"**

People were starting to become even more worried, Harry taunting him probably wasn't a good idea.

**The smile had gone from Riddle's face, to be replaced by a very ugly look.**

"I don't think he liked you saying that," Parvarti said fearfully.

"He already wanted to kill me," Harry shrugged. "Nothing I said would've made it worse."

"I don't like how carelessly you talk about him wanting to kill you," Remus frowned.

" **Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" he hissed.**

"Actually he was suspended because the school governors all agreed to it," Charlie pointed out. "And none of them thought You-Know-Who was behind it."

"He's arrogant," Harry said. "He enjoys taking credit for everything."

" **He's not as gone as you might think!" Harry retorted. He was speaking at random, wanting to scare Riddle, wishing rather than believing it to be true.**

 **Riddle opened his mouth, but froze.** **Music was coming from somewhere.**

"What?" A few people asked.

"Where would music be coming from?" Sue Li asked.

**Riddle whirled around to stare down the empty Chamber. The music was growing louder. It was eerie, spine-tingling, unearthly; it lifted the hair on Harry's scalp and made his heart feel as though it was swelling to twice its normal size.**

"Is it giving you courage?" Sally-Anne asked confused.

"Yeah," Harry told her. "It made me feel like I wasn't alone."

**Then, as the music reached such a pitch that Harry felt it vibrating inside his own ribs, flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillar.**

People were even more confused now.

**A crimson bird the size of a swan had appeared,**

"Is that Dumbledore's phoenix?" Those who remembered reading about the bird asked.

"How did he get there?" Jack asked.

"Did Dumbledore send him?" Euan questioned.

Harry didn't answer so Dumbledore continued with the reading.

**piping its weird music to the vaulted ceiling. It had a glittering golden tail as long as a peacock's and gleaming golden talons, which were gripping a ragged bundle.**

"He brought something with him?" Marietta asked.

"Why would he bring a ragged bundle?" Cho asked. "What good will that do?"

**A second later, the bird was flying straight at Harry. It dropped the ragged thing it was carrying at his feet, then landed heavily on his shoulder. As it folded its great wings, Harry looked up and saw it had a long, sharp golden beak and a beady black eye.**

_'That's a much better description than his earlier one.'_ Harry thought.

**The bird stopped singing. It sat still and warm next to Harry's cheek, gazing steadily at Riddle.**

" **That's a phoenix." said Riddle, staring shrewdly back at it.**

"I think he was confused as to why a phoenix was landing on my shoulder," Harry said thinking back to that day.

"I would be too," Hermione told him. "Phoenixes are very rare creatures."

" **Fawkes?" Harry breathed, and he felt the bird's golden claws squeeze his shoulder gently.**

" **And that —" said Riddle, now eyeing the ragged thing that Fawkes had dropped, "that's the old school Sorting Hat —"**

"The sorting hat?" Neville asked perplexed. "What good will that do?"

Harry's lips twitched. "A lot more than you'd think."

No one knew what to take from Harry's statement so they went back to the book.

**So it was. Patched, frayed, and dirty, the hat lay motionless at Harry's feet.**

**Riddle began to laugh again. He laughed so hard that the dark chamber rang with it, as though ten Riddles were laughing at once.**

Harry shuddered, this time Hermione and Ron noticed, they both gave him worried looks.

" **This is what Dumbledore sends his defender! A songbird and an old hat!**

"It really doesn't seem like it'd be much help," Kevin frowned.

**Do you feel brave, Harry Potter? Do you feel safe now?"**

Harry shook his head. "I felt more brave and safer than I did before Fawkes came, but I didn't feel much of either."

**Harry didn't answer. He might not see what use Fawkes or the Sorting Hat were, but he was no longer alone, and he waited for Riddle to stop laughing with his courage mounting.**

Harry was on the receiving end of many odd looks.

"Only you could feel courageous in a situation like that," Ron told his best friend.

"Fawkes always makes me feel better," Harry said.

"Do you think it has to do with your wand?" Hermione asked. "Your wand has Fawkes' tail feather for its core, maybe he can sense it."

Harry looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure, I don't think so though, because if that was the case wouldn't Voldemort feel it?"

Hermione frowned. "Maybe he just ignores the feeling or he may be a genuine psychopath, with the way he acts that could be the case."

" **To business, Harry," said Riddle, still smiling broadly. "Twice — in your past, in my future — we have met. And twice I failed to kill you.**

"That's nothing to be proud of," Tonks said. "He couldn't kill an infant or an eleven-year-old. So much for him being the greatest sorcerer in the world."

**How did you survive? Tell me everything. The longer you talk," he added softly, "the longer you stay alive."**

"He basically just said that he'll kill you no matter what," Terry said. "He should've said that he'll let you live if you tell him, even though he wouldn't, most people would be more likely to talk if he said that."

**Harry was thinking fast, weighing his chances. Riddle had the wand. He, Harry, had Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, neither of which would be much good in a duel. It looked bad, all right… but the longer Riddle stood there, the more life was dwindling out of Ginny…**

Arthur looked sadly at Harry. Harry was in mortal danger and he was more worried about Ginny, he really is the most caring boy.

**and in the meantime, Harry noticed suddenly, Riddle's outline was becoming clearer, more solid… If it had to be a fight between him and Riddle, better sooner than later.**

"Good choice," Moody said. "The longer you sit there talking the stronger he gets."

"And the longer he talks the less chance Ginny has," Bill said in a dead tone.

" **No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me," said Harry abruptly.**

Harry glanced at Dumbledore. _'He knows...I know he knows.'_

**"I don't know myself. But I know why you couldn't kill me. Because my mother died to save me. My common Muggle-born mother,"**

"Good answer," Moody barked. "Telling him the truth while also making it out to seem like you're nothing special, that will cause him to underestimate you."

"What?" Ron asked.

Moody stared at Ron a moment before answering. "By Potter telling Riddle that he only lived because of his mother, Riddle will take that to mean that Harry is just your average wizard, that's a good thing. The art of surprise in battle can mean the difference between life and death."

**he added, shaking with suppressed rage.**

Ron glanced at his best friend, that was never a good thing.

**"She stopped you killing me. And I've seen the real you, I saw you last year. You're a wreck. You're barely alive. That's where all your power got you. You're in hiding. You're ugly, you're foul —"**

Groans were heard at all the tables.

"Do you have a death wish?" Tonks asked in disbelief.

"I can't believe you said that," Remus pinched the bridge of his nose.

Harry shrugged. "He made me mad, and besides he was going to kill me anyway."

Looks of exasperation were exchanged by everyone.

"You're either very brave or very foolish," Terry said.

"Brave." Several people said at once while Draco and a few other Slytherins said, "Foolish."

**Riddle's face contorted. Then he forced it into an awful smile.**

Harry grimaced. "That's never a good sign."

"What?" Dean asked.

"When Voldemort smiles," Harry told him.

**"So. Your mother died to save you. Yes, that's a powerful counter charm. I can see now… there is nothing special about you, after all.**

"Yes there is!" The DA shouted.

"Harry's five times the person you'll ever be!" Susan said.

"He's one of the kindest people I know," Hannah said.

"He's the best friend a person can ask for," Hermione said smiling at a blushing Harry.

"He's loyal and willing to help anyone," Neville added.

Umbridge was glaring at everyone who was saying nice things about Harry. _'They're all delusional.'_

**I wondered, you see. There are strange likenesses between us, after all. Even you must have noticed.**

"Unfortunately," Harry muttered.

**Both half-bloods,**

"The wizarding world is full of half bloods," Seamus said defensively.

Harry looked surprised that Seamus was defending him since they were in the middle of a fight.

 **orphans,** **raised by Muggles.**

"Harry and You-Know-Who can't be the only two wizards who were orphaned and raised by muggles," Justin said.

"They aren't," Sprout said. "Unfortunately a lot of children were orphaned after the first war."

**Probably the only two Parselmouths to come to Hogwarts since the great Slytherin himself.**

"Okay that is quite a few similarities," Alicia said. "But Harry is nothing like him."

**We even look something alike…**

"Do you really?" Leanne asked.

Harry grimaced. "When he was younger yes...now no we don't."

**but after all, it was merely a lucky chance that saved you from me.**

"My mother sacrificing herself for me wasn't luck," Harry spat glaring daggers at the book.

**That's all I wanted to know."**

**Harry stood, tense, waiting for Riddle to raise his wand. But Riddle's twisted smile was widening again.**

That sentence made everyone tense more than ever.

" **Now, Harry, I'm going to teach you a little lesson.**

Harry flinched and this time not only did Hermione and Ron notice but so did the twins, Bill, Charlie and Percy. They all exchanged confused looks, and they all got a horrible feeling, they didn't know what happened but they could tell it was something bad.

Harry tried to make the memories of excruciating pain go away but it was hard, he squeezed Hermione's hand trying to focus on the present.

Hermione felt Harry squeeze her hand, it hurt but she knew he must've needed to reassure himself or something, or else he wouldn't have done it, so she didn't pull away.

**Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter, and the best weapons Dumbledore can give him…"**

"My money's on Harry," George said fiercely.

**He cast an amused eye over Fawkes and the Sorting Hat,**

"Couldn't Fawkes take Harry and Ginny out of there?" Tonks asked.

"No," Harry answered. "Ginny's life was being drained by the diary, taking her away wouldn't of helped. The diary needed to be destroyed along with Tom."

**then walked away. Harry, fear spreading up his numb legs, watched Riddle stop between the high pillars and look up into the stone face of Slytherin, high above him in the half-darkness. Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed — but Harry understood what he was saying…**

" **Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."**

"He's calling the basilisk," Romilda said faintly.

"Why doesn't he just curse Potter?" Blaise asked when everyone turned to glare at him he continued. "I don't want Potter dead, I'm just saying that it would be quicker if he finished him off himself."

"He's arrogant," Moody barked as his eyes focused on the Slytherin. "And he's probably scared that whatever happened to destroy his body the first time will happen again."

**Harry wheeled around to look up at the statue, Fawkes swaying on his shoulder.**

**Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving. Horror struck, Harry saw his mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole.**

"I would take that as my cue to hide," Neville said staring opened mouthed at the book.

**And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths.**

The younger students were holding onto each other in fear, none of them wanted to hear this.

**Harry backed away until he hit the dark Chamber wall, and as he shut his eyes tight he felt Fawkes' wing sweep his cheek as he took flight.**

"He left?" Bill demanded.

**Harry wanted to shout, "Don't leave me!" but what chance did a phoenix have against the king of serpents?**

"Not much." Several people muttered.

**Something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Harry felt it shudder — he knew what was happening, he could sense it, could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin's mouth. Then he heard Riddle's hissing voice:**

" **Kill him."**

Hermione was now clutching at Harry's arm and Ron had his hand on his shoulder.

The adults looked horrified that one of their students had to face a monster that most grown wizards wouldn't be able to fight.

Ginny was overcome with guilt and tears began to pour from her eyes. "It's all my fault."

"No it's not," Harry told the sobbing girl. "You were only eleven; Voldemort has fooled people four times your age. You tried your best to fight him; you have nothing to feel guilty for. I'm sitting here just fine and so are you."

"But you shouldn't have been down there in the first place," Ginny choked out.

"I couldn't just sit around and do nothing," Harry said gently. "You're my best friend's sister, I needed to do something. And I'm glad I did, because if I hadn't, I never would've had the chance to get to know you and become your friend."

Ginny gave him a small smile, but the tears still flowed.

**The basilisk was moving toward Harry; he could hear its heavy body slithering heavily across the dusty floor. Eyes still tightly shut,**

"You can't even see!" Parvarti gasped. "I forgot about that."

**Harry began to run blindly sideways, his hands outstretched, feeling his way — Voldemort was laughing.**

"He's sick," Arthur said looking repulsed.

"First he laughs at a little girl's worries and now he's laughing at a twelve-year-old boy being chased by a basilisk," Bill said his fists clenched. "He isn't human."

**Harry tripped. He fell hard onto the stone and tasted blood.**

Hermione's eyes were shut tight, she was trying hard not to picture Harry all alone, being chased by a giant snake.

Ron felt sick, Harry shouldn't have been down there fighting that monster all alone.

**The serpent was barely feet from him, he could hear it coming.**

McGonagall and Sprout were clutching their chests and Pomfrey's eyes were wide.

Snape was frozen. _'Lily's son had been within an inch of dying and I didn't do anything about it.'_

**There was a loud, explosive spitting sound right above him, and then something heavy hit Harry so hard that he was smashed into the wall.**

"No!" Molly and Hermione gasped.

Most of the girls in the hall had tears forming in their eyes.

**Waiting for fangs to sink through his body**

Neville gulped, he couldn't imagine being down in a creepy chamber waiting to be eaten by a giant basilisk.

**he heard more mad hissing, something thrashing wildly off the pillars.**

"What's thrashing?" Mandy asked but no one answered.

**He couldn't help it — he opened his eyes wide enough to squint at what was going on.**

"Harry!" Almost half of the hall yelled.

"You could've died!" Hermione yelled, tears falling down her face.

"You opened your eyes?" Ron asked shocked.

"I had to see what was going on," Harry said.

**The enormous serpent, bright, poisonous green, thick as an oak trunk,**

"Lovely description," Parvarti said feeling woozy.

**had raised itself high in the air and its great blunt head was weaving drunkenly between the pillars. As Harry trembled, ready to close his eyes if it turned, he saw what had distracted the snake.**

**Fawkes was soaring around its head, and the basilisk was snapping furiously at him with fangs long and thin as sabres.**

"What?" Was asked by most of the occupants of the hall.

"What is he doing?" Wayne asked. "He's going to get hurt!"

**Fawkes dived. His long golden beak sank out of sight and a sudden shower of dark blood spattered the floor.**

"He injured the basilisk?" Charlie asked hopefully.

**The snake's tail thrashed, narrowly missing Harry, and before Harry could shut his eyes, it turned**

Everyone felt as though they had been doused with ice water.

"You...you looked into its eyes?" Charlie asked he was so pale his freckles stood out vividly. Harry nodded. "How are you alive," Charlie asked looking at Harry like he was a ghost.

"You'll see," Harry said causing Charlie to quickly turn to the book.

— **Harry looked straight into its face and saw that its eyes, both its great, bulbous yellow eyes, had been punctured by the phoenix; blood was streaming to the floor, and the snake was spitting in agony.**

"Thank Merlin," Susan said. "He can look now."

"The danger still isn't over yet," Hannah said worriedly. "Riddle is still there and the basilisk is poisonous."

" **NO!" Harry heard Riddle screaming. "LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. YOU CAN STILL SMELL HIM. KILL HIM!"**

"No don't kill him," Hermione whispered looking ready to faint.

"I'm fine Hermione," Harry whispered to her. "I'm right here and I'm okay."

**The blinded serpent swayed, confused, still deadly. Fawkes was circling its head, piping his eerie song, jabbing here and there at its scaly nose as the blood poured from its ruined eyes.**

" **Help me, help me," Harry muttered wildly, "someone — anyone…"**

Ron looked at his best friend shocked, Harry never asked for help, most of the time they had to force him to accept help.

**The snake's tail whipped across the floor again. Harry ducked. Something soft hit his face.**

"Is it the hat?" Terry asked.

**The basilisk had swept the Sorting Hat into Harry's arms. Harry seized it. It was all he had left, his only chance — he rammed it onto his head and threw himself flat onto the floor as the basilisk's tail swung over him again.**

"Why would you put it on?" Cormac asked like it was the stupidest thing to do.

"I figured that Fawkes had brought it to me for a reason," Harry said.

**Help me — help me — Harry thought, his eyes screwed tight under the hat. Please help me.**

Moody shook his head. "A basilisk is trying to kill you and you put on a blasted hat?"

"It was instinct," Harry told him.

**There was no answering voice. Instead, the hat contracted, as though an invisible hand was squeezing it very tightly.**

Everyone felt very confused except for the trio, Dumbledore and McGonagall.

**Something very hard and heavy thudded onto the top of Harry's head, almost knocking him out. Stars winking in front of his eyes, he grabbed the top of the hat to pull it off and felt something long and hard beneath it.**

"Something came out of the hat?" Neville asked and Harry nodded.

**A gleaming silver sword had appeared inside the hat, its handle glittering with rubies the size of eggs.**

"A sword?" Dean asked. "The sorting hat gave you a sword?"

"Yes," Harry answered.

Everyone was too busy worrying about what was about to happen to recognize the swords description.

" **KILL THE BOY! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. SNIFF — SMELL HIM."**

"He's getting desperate," Tonks mumbled.

**Harry was on his feet, ready. The basilisk's head was falling, its body coiling around, hitting pillars as it twisted to face him. He could see the vast, bloody eye sockets, see the mouth stretching wide, wide enough to swallow him whole, lined with fangs long as his sword, thin, glittering, venomous —**

"Why do you have to be so descriptive?" Ron groaned. "First the spiders and now the basilisk."

**It lunged blindly — Harry dodged and it hit the Chamber wall. It lunged again, and its forked tongue lashed Harry's side.**

The hall went silent as everyone turned to look at Harry as if he was dead.

"That can't do anything to him right?" Neville asked worriedly.

"No," Surprisingly it was Snape who answered. "Only if it were to bite would it kill, the saliva will not harm him."

Harry tensed knowing that's exactly what was about to happen.

**He raised the sword in both his hands —**

The hall held its breath and leaned forward.

**The basilisk lunged again, and this time its aim was true — Harry threw his whole weight behind the sword and drove it to the hilt into the roof of the serpent's mouth —**

There were stunned gasps from everyone in the hall.

"You killed a giant basilisk with a sword?" Justin asked in awe.

Harry was shifting uncomfortably from all the awed and impressed looks he was receiving. "Yes," he answered.

"Wicked!" The twins exclaimed together.

The adults all looked ready to have heart attacks with the exception of Umbridge who looked like a fish and Moody who was grinning.

"Impressive Potter," Moody praised. "Very impressive."

"I can't believe a twelve-year-old killed a basilisk," a seventh year Hufflepuff said.

"Now I feel even worse for thinking that Harry was the heir," Ernie said to his friends.

After ten minutes of talking about Harry's defeat of a basilisk Dumbledore continued to read, most of the tension leaving the hall.

**But as warm blood drenched Harry's arms, he felt a searing pain just above his elbow. One long, poisonous fang was sinking deeper and deeper into his arm and it splintered as the basilisk keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, to the floor.**

The tension returned to the room tenfold as everyone turned to look at Harry.

Hermione and Ron looked gobsmacked.

The adults were horrified, how exactly is he still alive? Dumbledore was frowning; Harry never told him that he had been bitten.

Snuffles was whimpering as he looked at his godson. _'How close was I too never even meeting him?'_

"You were bitten by a basilisk?" Molly shrieked sound like a banshee.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ron asked looking green as Hermione's tears continued to fall.

"Harry James Potter!" Hermione yelled. "You almost died! You could've died! Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't want to worry anyone," Harry said, even to him the excuse sounded lame.

"Not worry? Are you kidding me?" Tonks said her wide eyes not leaving Harry's face. "You were bitten by the most deadly creature in the world. How are you even alive?"

"Fawkes," Harry told her.

"That's right," Tonks said. "They have healing powers."

It took everyone a few minutes to get over the shock that Harry almost died while trying to save Ginny and the school. Once Molly and everyone else who had begun to sob was calmed down the reading resumed.

**Harry slid down the wall. He gripped the fang that was spreading poison through his body and wrenched it out of his arm. But he knew it was too late. White-hot pain was spreading slowly and steadily from the wound.**

Harry winced, that had been the most pain he had ever been in...well it had until the graveyard.

**Even as he dropped the fang and watched his own blood soaking his robes, his vision went foggy. The Chamber was dissolving in a whirl of dull colour.**

Hermione buried her head in Harry's shoulder. Even after everything she'd been through with Harry the thought of him dying all alone while she was laying in the hospital wing and Ron was on the other side of a rock slide was killing her. They were supposed to always have each other's backs. _'If only I hadn't gone to the library, maybe I wouldn't have been petrified, and I could've gone with him. Maybe Lockhart wouldn't have come and the three of us would've been together, we're much stronger together than apart.'_

Ron didn't know what to say or do, his best friend almost died trying to save his sister. If he had never suggested going to Lockhart the stupid ceiling wouldn't have caved in and he would've been with Harry, he could've helped him.

McGonagall was trying to keep herself composed, she couldn't cry in front of all of her students, but hearing about one of them almost dying was like physical pain. She was supposed to protect them but she failed.

Snape was gripping the arms of his chair. _'Potter almost died again, why is it that the boy can't stay out of things that don't concern him?'_

"I'm so sorry," Ginny said quietly, but the hall was silent so everyone heard.

"I already told you that it isn't your fault Ginny," Harry told her as he rubbed circles on Hermione's back.

"You were bitten by a basilisk, you would've died if it wasn't for Fawkes," Ginny said, her voice trembling.

"I don't regret going to save you, even if Fawkes hadn't healed me I would never regret it," Harry told her causing everyone to look at him.

"But...but you...you would've died," Ginny gasped out.

"I know, but you wouldn't have," Harry said ignoring all of the looks he was receiving. "You have a family, six brothers and loving parents; you have your whole life ahead of you. I look ahead and I see Voldemort, he won't stop until I'm dead or he is, better me than you. Besides, I would trade my life for Ron, Hermione, Neville, and the twins, anyone I care about and that includes you."

Silence followed Harry's statement.

The adults all felt a pang of sadness, he's only fifteen years old he shouldn't feel that way, he shouldn't be thinking that way.

The students didn't know what to say, they would all like to say they would die for their friends, but would they really? Most of them couldn't imagine facing off against a giant basilisk at twelve, a troll at eleven, or Voldemort even once.

Those that had still been on the fence about believing him about Voldemort's return now believed him. They could hear the emotion in his voice when he spoke to Ginny, he meant what he said, Voldemort was back and he wants him dead.

"You have a family mate," Ron said trying not to let his best friend's words affect him.

"And you aren't going to die," Hermione said fiercely wiping her eyes. "Ron and I will be by your side always." Harry went to cut her off and Hermione covered his mouth. "No Harry Potter you listen to me, we will go with you to hell and back if that's what it takes to stop...V...v...Voldemort." Harry couldn't stop the smile that formed when she finally said the name. "The only way he's going to get to you is if he goes through us first, you're my best friend...my brother really and I need you, I know that Ron does too. We've faced everything from exams to death together, and if you think that we're going to abandon you just because V...Voldemort wants you dead than you're an idiot."

"Hermione..." Harry began but Hermione cut him off.

"You said you'd trade your life for mine Harry," Hermione said looking him in the eye. "Would you really?"

"What?" Harry spluttered. "Of course! You know I would!"

"Then why is it so hard to believe that we'd be willing to do the same," Hermione said looking at him sadly.

Harry sighed. "It's not that I don't believe you would," Harry said. "It's that I don't want you to, I couldn't live with myself knowing that you or Ron or somebody else I care about died for me."

"You don't have a choice mate," Ron said more seriously than anyone ever heard him speak before. "We said earlier that'd we'd be together until the end, you don't have a choice. So don't bother trying to push us away, because we're staying." Ron turned to his parents who were staring at him. "This summer you said that we're too young, but after everything you've read can you honestly still say that? Like Harry said You-Know-Who is after him and he won't always be with an adult who can protect him, but Hermione and I will always be with him. I'm going to fight with Harry to the death if I have to. I'm sorry but I'm not going to stand back or hide where it's safe, please don't try to stop me."

Molly still had tears rolling down her cheeks but the pride in her eyes was unmistakable. Arthur was smiling at his youngest son with wet eyes.

"I still think that you're too young Ron," Molly said and Ron sighed. "But I won't ask you to abandon Harry and Hermione." Ron looked shocked that his mother didn't yell and scream and threaten to ground him for eternity.

"I'm proud of you son," Arthur said his voice full of emotion. "Grown men wouldn't handle your situation half as well." Ron smiled at the praise.

Harry's emotions were all over the place. He knew Ron and Hermione would do anything for him, but he never thought they knew exactly what they were getting themselves into. Now that he knows they'd be there no matter knowing that Voldemort might very well kill them he couldn't help but love them even more. He didn't want them to get hurt but he knew it would be pointless to try and convince them to stay away. All he could do was try and stop Voldemort people too many people got hurt.

The trio's words made everyone think. Would I die for my best friend? Would my best friend die for me? Would I have been able to defeat a basilisk?

The twins exchanged looks, having a silent conversation. They both knew what the other one was thinking. _'I'll stand by Harry no matter what.'_

Bill and Charlie were also speaking without words, both of them promising themselves that they would do anything to help Harry defeat Voldemort.

Percy looked around and his family and knew they were all promising to help Harry. He thought back to how he disowned his family and shunned Harry, calling him an attention seeker and a liar. He vowed to never let them down ever again; he'd fight alongside them and do what he could to help.

The members of the DA were thinking about all of the meetings they had and how different practising in the room of requirement was too real life. They all wanted to help Harry, Hermione and Ron even though they were all scared of what they might go up against.

Neville looked at his friends, three people who had always been kind to him. Hermione, who always helped him with his homework, Harry who taught him to stand up for himself and Ron who tried his best to get Malfoy to leave him alone. He made a promise to himself that he would fight with them to stop the man who was responsible for the death of so many people. He'd make his parents and his grandmother proud.

Snape was eyeing Harry, Hermione and Ron. _'Maybe there is more behind them than I thought.'_

Umbridge was livid; she couldn't believe that everyone was stupid enough to fall for Potters lies. She wanted to stop the reading right now, but she knew if they continued to read they would find something incriminating. _'When everyone finds out that Voldemort is really dead they'll all see what a little liar he truly is.'_

 **A patch of scarlet swam past, and Harry heard a soft clatter of claws beside him.** " **Fawkes," said Harry thickly. "You were fantastic, Fawkes…"**

Harry smiled grateful that Fawkes had been there.

**He felt the bird lay its beautiful head on the spot where the serpent's fang had pierced him. He could hear echoing footsteps and then a dark shadow moved in front of him.**

" **You're dead, Harry Potter," said Riddle's voice above him. "Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he's doing, Potter? He's crying."**

"He's taunting you!" Tonks said glaring at the book. "That's disgusting!"

"I thought he was supposed to be a genius?" Michael asked raising his eyebrows. "Wouldn't he know that phoenixes have healing powers?"

"He probably forgot," Stewart said. "He did spend fifty years in a diary."

**Harry blinked. Fawkes' head slid in and out of focus. Thick, pearly tears were trickling down the glossy feathers.**

" **I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time. I'm in no hurry."**

Many people looked nauseous.

 _'Oh Tom.'_ Dumbledore thought. _'Your arrogance will be your undoing.'_

**Harry felt drowsy. Everything around him seemed to be spinning.**

Hermione grabbed his hand again to reassure herself that he was there.

" **So ends the famous Harry Potter," said Riddle's distant voice. "Alone in the Chamber of Secrets, forsaken by his friends,**

"We hadn't forsaken him!" Ron and Hermione yelled.

"We would never do that," Hermione snapped at the book.

**defeated at last by the Dark Lord he so unwisely challenged.**

"Last time I checked Harry didn't challenge you," Charlie said angrily.

"And it was the basilisk that bit him," Bill said grimacing. "You didn't do anything."

**You'll be back with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Harry…**

Remus and Snuffles growled and Snape narrowed his eyes at the book.

Harry clenched the fist that wasn't holding Hermione's hand.

**She bought you twelve years of borrowed time…**

Harry's eyes narrowed into slits and those around him could feel the power radiating from him.

**but Lord Voldemort got you in the end, as you knew he must…"**

Insults were muttered and glares were sent to the book.

 **If this is dying, thought Harry, it's not so bad.** **Even the pain was leaving him…**

Gasps were heard and everyone once more turned to Harry.

"How could you be so calm?" Alicia asked with her hand over her mouth.

"I wasn't in pain anymore," Harry told her. "I thought that I'd soon be with my parents...I didn't know that there was anything else to do I forgot that phoenixes could heal, and I didn't want to give him the satisfaction by screaming or crying."

Some people felt their respect for Harry increase, they couldn't imagine staying calm if they thought they were about to die.

**But was this dying? Instead of going black, the Chamber seemed to be coming back into focus. Harry gave his head a little shake and there was Fawkes, still resting his head on Harry's arm. A pearly patch of tears was shining all around the wound — except that there was no wound.**

The tension lessened but it wasn't gone completely, the young Voldemort was still there.

" **Getaway, bird," said Riddle's voice suddenly. "Get away from him — I said, getaway —"**

"Now he realizes that Fawkes is healing Harry," Tonks rolled her eyes.

**Harry raised his head. Riddle was pointing Harry's wand at Fawkes; there was a bang like a gun, and Fawkes took flight again in a whirl of gold and scarlet.**

Some people looked worried for the phoenix.

" **Phoenix tears…" said Riddle quietly, staring at Harry's arm. "Of course… healing powers… I forgot…"**

"Some genius you are," Fred snorted.

**He looked into Harry's face. "But it makes no difference. In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you and me, Harry Potter… you and me…"**

"That's how he always prefers it," Harry muttered.

**He raised the wand…**

**Then, in a rush of wings, Fawkes had soared back overhead and something fell into Harry's lap — the diary.**

Fawkes' actions confused the hall. Why would the phoenix give Harry the diary? Only some of the older students and the adults understood why.

**For a split second, both Harry and Riddle, wand still raised, stared at it.**

Moody shook his head muttering something about constant vigilance and arrogant teenagers.

**Then, without thinking, without considering, as though he had meant to do it all along, Harry seized the basilisk fang on the floor next to him and plunged it straight into the heart of the book.**

"Good instincts." Moody and Kingsley said.

"You almost died less than a minute before and you were thinking clearly enough to stab the diary?" A seventh year Gryffindor asked.

"Like I said earlier, I think well when myself or someone else is in danger," Harry told him.

**There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Harry's hands, flooding the floor.**

"Ew," Parvarti said.

"That's...weird," Lavender whispered to her best friend.

**Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then —**

Moody frowned. _'That doesn't sound right...what exactly was that diary? That's not normal dark magic'_

**He had gone.**

Everyone let out the breath they were holding.

"Thank Merlin," Molly said letting go of her husband and wiping the tears off her face.

Ginny loosened her grip on her brothers' hands, but she didn't let go completely.

**Harry's wand fell to the floor with a clatter and there was silence. Silence except for the steady drip drip of ink still oozing from the diary. The basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through it.**

"And that was in your arm," Neville said staring at Harry's arm.

**Shaking all over, Harry pulled himself up. His head was spinning as though he'd just traveled miles by Floo powder. Slowly, he gathered together his wand and the Sorting Hat, and, with a huge tug, retrieved the glittering sword from the roof of the basilisk's mouth.**

"Yes, don't forget the sword," George said in a pompous voice trying to cheer up Ginny.

"Oh yes, that would be just horrible," Fred said. "We can't have that."

A small smile flickered on Ginny's lips and the twins exchanged grins.

**Then came a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Ginny was stirring.**

The Weasley boys exchanged large smiles while Molly beamed at her daughter.

"My baby," Molly said relief evident in her voice.

**As Harry hurried toward her, she sat up. Her bemused eyes traveled from the huge form of the dead basilisk, over Harry, in his blood-soaked robes, then to the diary in his hand.**

"I didn't know what to think," Ginny said quietly, so only those near her could hear. "I was so confused."

**She drew a great, shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face.**

Ginny was on the receiving end of many sad looks.

**"Harry — oh, Harry — I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy —**

Percy noticeably flinched.

"It's not that I don't trust you," Ginny told her brother. "It's that you're all about following rules...and I broke a lot of them...I was embarrassed and I didn't want to disappoint you."

Percy looked at his sister and gave her a reassuring smile. "I understand, I can see why you wouldn't have wanted to tell me. I am trying to be a better brother now, so you can come to me if you need to talk."

Ginny gave him a small smile and nodded.

**it was me, Harry — but I — I s-swear I d-didn't mean to — R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over — and — how did you kill that — that thing?**

"Distracted easily I see?" George said amusedly.

"I wasn't expecting to see a giant snake," Ginny grumbled, her mood slowly improving now that the worst was over and no one blamed her.

**W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary —"**

"It's a good thing she wasn't awake for all of that," Bill whispered to Charlie.

" **It's all right," said Harry, holding up the diary, and showing Ginny the fang hole, "Riddle's finished. Look! Him and the basilisk. C'mon, Ginny, let's get out of here —"**

" **I'm going to be expelled!"**

"You had been through a traumatic experience and you were worried about being expelled?" Millicent said incredulously.

Ginny blushed. "I've been looking forward to coming to Hogwarts since I was little."

"I would never expel a student for something they had no control over," Dumbledore said in a grandfatherly fashion.

**Ginny wept as Harry helped her awkwardly to her feet. "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and — w-what'll Mum and Dad say?"**

Bill raised his eyebrows. "Gin, you were one when I started at Hogwarts."

"You leaving for Hogwarts is my earliest memory," Ginny said quietly.

"You remember that?" Bill asked shocked and Ginny nodded.

**Fawkes was waiting for them, hovering in the Chamber entrance. Harry urged Ginny forward; they stepped over the motionless coils of the dead basilisk, through the echoing gloom, and back into the tunnel. Harry heard the stone doors close behind them with a soft hiss.**

**After a few minutes' progress up the dark tunnel, a distant sound of slowly shifting rock reached Harry's ears.**

" **Ron!" Harry yelled, speeding up. "Ginny's okay! I've got her!"**

"You don't know how happy that made me," Ron said grinning at his best friend. "I was worried I would never see either of you again."

"Thank you for saving Ginny," Arthur said suddenly and Harry looked up at him.

"It's no problem," Harry told him.

"It's huge Harry," Arthur said. "Molly and I could never thank you enough for saving our daughter. We thought we'd never see her again and we wouldn't have if it hadn't been for you."

Harry turned red as all the Weasley's thanked him.

**He heard Ron give a strangled cheer, and they turned the next bend to see his eager face staring through the sizable gap he had managed to make in the rock fall.**

"I'm surprised you were able to move all of those rocks," Jack said. "I would've been too worried to do anything."

"Moving them helped me not to think too much about what might be happening in the chamber," Ron admitted.

" **Ginny!" Ron thrust an arm through the gap in the rock to pull her through first. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened? How — what — where did that bird come from?"**

"Another one with a short attention span," George joked.

Ron mock scowled. "Harry entered all by himself and came back with a phoenix and a giant sword, like you wouldn't be shocked."

"Touché little brother," George said.

**Fawkes had swooped through the gap after Ginny.**

" **He's Dumbledore's," said Harry, squeezing through himself.**

" **How come you've got a sword?" said Ron, gaping at the glittering weapon in Harry's hand.**

"That was more confusing than the bird to be honest," Ron said. "He was just carrying a giant sword covered in blood; I had no idea what to think. I wouldn't have thought that he would've been able to kill a basilisk with a sword since I didn't think he could look at it."

" **I'll explain when we get out of here," said Harry with a sideways glance at Ginny, who was crying harder than ever.**

**"But —"**

" **Later," Harry said shortly. He didn't think it was a good idea to tell Ron yet who'd been opening the Chamber, not in front of Ginny, anyway.**

Molly smiled at her honorary son; it was nice of him to think about Ginny's feelings.

**"Where's Lockhart?"**

"Who cares?" The male population of Hogwarts said.

"He tried to obliviate you two," Bill growled. "Who cares where he is."

" **Back there," said Ron, still looking puzzled but jerking his head up the tunnel toward the pipe. "He's in a bad way. Come and see."**

**Led by Fawkes, whose wide scarlet wings emitted a soft golden glow in the darkness, they walked all the way back to the mouth of the pipe. Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting there, humming placidly to himself.**

Snorts were heard.

" **His memory's gone," said Ron. "The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself."**

"That's irony for you," Moody said with a twisted smirk.

"It really is," Tonks snickered. "If he wasn't such a git he'd still have his memory."

**Lockhart peered good-naturedly up at them all.**

" **Hello," he said. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?"**

Harry and Ron rolled their eyes.

" **No," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry.**

**Harry bent down and looked up the long, dark pipe.**

" **Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" he said to Ron.**

"You probably should've thought of that before you jumped down the pipe," Remus told them.

Harry sighed. "We didn't exactly have the time."

**Ron shook his head, but Fawkes the phoenix had swooped past Harry and was now fluttering in front of him, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers. Harry looked uncertainly at him.**

Charlie's eyes widened. "He's going to let you ride him?"

All around the hall eyes were widening.

"That's so cool!" A third year Hufflepuff squealed.

" **He looks like he wants you to grab hold…" said Ron, looking perplexed. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there —"**

"Phoenixes can hold immensely heavy loads," Charlie said.

"I know that now," Ron muttered.

" **Fawkes," said Harry, "isn't an ordinary bird." He turned quickly to the others. "We've got to hold on to each other. Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Professor Lockhart —"**

" **He means you," said Ron sharply to Lockhart.**

The twins and Lee snickered.

" **You hold Ginny's other hand —"**

**Harry tucked the sword and the Sorting Hat into his belt, Ron took hold of the back of Harry's robes, and Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers.**

**An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through his whole body and the next second, in a rush of wings, they were flying upward through the pipe. Harry could hear Lockhart dangling below him, saying, "Amazing! Amazing! This is just like magic!"**

The hall couldn't help it they laughed, harder than was necessary but after the last few chapters everyone needed a laugh.

**The chill air was whipping through Harry's hair, and before he'd stopped enjoying the ride, it was over — all four of them were hitting the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and as Lockhart straightened his hat, the sink that hid the pipe was sliding back into place.**

"I still can't believe the entrance to the chamber is in the girls' bathroom," Warrington muttered.

**Myrtle goggled at them.**

"I can't blame her," Megan said. "It would be an odd sight, a phoenix carrying three children and a professor."

"And she was probably under the impression that they were going to die," Sally-Anne said grimacing at the thought.

" **You're alive," she said blankly to Harry.**

"There's no need to sound disappointed," Daphne frowned.

" **There's no need to sound so disappointed," he said grimly,**

Daphne and Harry both blinked several times before looking at each other and smiling.

**wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses.**

Several people blanched.

" **Oh, well… I'd just been thinking… if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," said Myrtle, blushing silver.**

The hall broke into laughter as Harry turned red and Myrtle who had been floating near the Ravenclaw table smiled.

" **Urgh!" said Ron as they left the bathroom for the dark, deserted corridor outside. "Harry! I think Myrtle's grown fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!"**

"Ronald!" Molly yelled. "Your sister had just been through a horrible trauma."

Ron winced; even he could tell that was tactless. "Sorry Ginny."

"It's fine," Ginny assured him.

**But tears were still flooding silently down Ginny's face.**

" **Where now?" said Ron, with an anxious look at Ginny. Harry pointed.**

"You should've come straight to me," Pomfrey huffed. "You all should've been checked over for injuries, especially you Mr. Potter."

"I was fine," Harry said quickly not wanting to get taken to the hospital wing. "Fawkes healed me."

Pomfrey pursed her lips. "Even so, you still should've come to me."

"Next time I will," Harry said before blanching, he realized too late that he shouldn't have said that.

"What do you mean next time Mr. Potter?" McGonagall frowned. "There better not be a next time."

"Harry," Remus sighed. "I really hope that you don't do anything like that ever again."

"I agree with Remus," Molly said looking between the trio.

Harry sighed and rubbed at his eyes.

 **Fawkes was leading the way, glowing gold along the corridor. They strode after him, and moments later, found themselves outside Professor McGonagall's office**.

**Harry knocked and pushed the door open.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Dumbledore said as he looked at the title for the next chapter, a smile played on his lips. "Dobby, would you care to read once more?"

Dobby perked up. "Dobby would love to read again Headmaster Dumbledore sir!" Dobby bounced to the head table and grabbed the book before walking back to his spot.


	18. Dobby's Reward

**"Dobby's Reward."** Dobby read and the elf smiled.

All over the hall eyebrows were raised and curious looks were exchanged.

**For a moment there was silence as Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Lockhart stood in the doorway, covered in muck and slime and (in Harry's case) blood.**

"I didn't know that any of it had been yours," McGonagall frowned.

 **Then there was a scream.** " **Ginny!"**

 **It was Mrs Weasley,** **who had been sitting crying in front of the fire. She leapt to her feet, closely followed by Mr Weasley, and both of them flung themselves on their daughter.**

"We were told that she was dead," Arthur said and the Weasley's flinched at the thought. "So when we saw her we were overjoyed."

 **Harry, however, was looking past them. Professor Dumbledore** **was standing by the mantelpiece, beaming,**

"You're back," Tonks said happily.

**next to Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest.**

"I was not expecting to see Ms Weasley walk into my office with one of my students covered in blood and another who I was under the impression was with his brothers in Gryffindor tower," McGonagall said to all the looks she was receiving.

**Fawkes went whooshing past Harry's ear and settled on Dumbledore's shoulder, just as Harry found himself and Ron being swept into Mrs Weasley's tight embrace.**

" **You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?"**

"That doesn't seem like you," Bill said to his mother. "Normally you would be shouting and asking repeatedly why he was covered in blood."

"I was in shock," Molly said. "I honestly didn't even notice the blood..." She trailed off with a sigh.

"It's not your fault Mrs. Weasley," Harry told her. "You were worried about Ginny; I can't blame you for that."

" **I think we'd all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall weakly.**

**Mrs. Weasley let go of Harry, who hesitated for a moment,**

"Why did you hesitate?" Dean asked.

"I didn't feel like talking about everything that had just happened," Harry said.

**then walked over to the desk and laid upon it the Sorting Hat, the ruby-encrusted sword, and what remained of Riddle's diary.**

**Then he started telling them everything.**

"You certainly didn't tell us everything Mr. Potter," McGonagall said sternly. "There was no mention of you being bitten by the basilisk or the fact that Riddle had your wand."

Harry looked sheepish. "I told you the important bits."

"I think the fact that you almost died would be classified as important," Hermione told him with a look reminiscent of McGonagall.

**For nearly a quarter of an hour, he spoke into the rapt silence: He told them about hearing the disembodied voice, how Hermione had finally realized that he was hearing a basilisk in the pipes;**

"I'm even more impressed now that I know how little you had to work with Ms Granger," Dumbledore said kindly.

"Thank you, professor," Hermione said smiling.

**how he and Ron had followed the spiders into the forest,**

"Yet you didn't tell us how they tried to eat you," McGonagall said with thin lips.

"As I said, we told you the important stuff," Harry said trying to placate his head of the house.

"I think that you and I need to have a discussion on the definition of important Mr Potter," McGonagall said.

**that Aragog had told them where the last victim of the basilisk had died; how he had guessed that Moaning Myrtle had been the victim and that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in her bathroom…**

"Wait, Professor," Padma said looking at the headmaster. "Didn't you know that Myrtle was the first victim?"

Dumbledore stroked his beard. "I did indeed know that Myrtle was the first victim, however, she never told me what she told Mr Potter."

" **Very well," Professor McGonagall prompted him as he paused, "so you found out where the entrance was — breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way,** **I might add**

"Really Minerva?" Remus asked. "That's what you were concerned about?"

Minerva turned her glare to him. "I do not approve my students breaking the rules Remus, you should know that."

— **but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?"**

"Now that I know I wish I never asked," Minerva said her glare softening.

**So Harry, his voice now growing hoarse from all this talking, told them about Fawkes's timely arrival and about the Sorting Hat giving him the sword. But then he faltered. He had so far avoided mentioning Riddle's diary — or Ginny.**

Ron rolled his eyes. "There goes Harry acting all noble again."

Harry shoved his best friend playfully. "I thought that she had been through enough, I didn't want to add to it."

"Thank you," Ginny told him sincerely.

**She was standing with her head against Mrs Weasley's shoulder, and tears were still coursing silently down her cheeks. What if they expelled her?**

"Ms Weasley did nothing wrong," McGonagall told him. "We wouldn't expel her for something that was out of her control."

"Hagrid was expelled and he didn't open the chamber," Harry reminded her. "How was I to know that the same thing wouldn't have happened to Ginny?"

McGonagall sighed. "I see your point, Mr. Potter."

**Harry thought in panic. Riddle's diary didn't work anymore… How could they prove it had been he who'd made her do it all?**

Hermione smiled fondly at her best friend, he was always trying to help everyone.

**Instinctively, Harry looked at Dumbledore, who smiled faintly, the firelight glancing off his half-moon spectacles.**

" **What interests me most," said Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny,**

"Did you know that it was Voldemort before Harry told you?" Kingsley asked.

Dumbledore didn't say anything for a few seconds then he answered. "Yes, I did know that Voldemort was behind the attacks, after all, I did know that it was him fifty years ago. However, I had no idea how he was doing it. If I would've known about the diary sooner I would've done everything within my power to stop him."

**when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania."**

"Did you check?" Remus asked.

"Yes Remus I did check," Dumbledore answered. "As soon as the chamber was opened I began looking into it."

**Relief — warm, sweeping, glorious relief – swept over Harry.**

"It's always a relief when someone believes you," Harry said. "So often adults don't believe me."

**"W-what's that?" said Mr. Weasley in a stunned voice. "You-Know-Who? En-enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not… Ginny hasn't been… has she?"**

"It was hard to believe," Arthur said frowning. "That's not something you think is going to happen to someone you know, let alone your eleven year old daughter."

" **It was this diary," said Harry quickly, picking it up and showing it to Dumbledore. "Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen…"**

"I still don't understand how that's possible," Terry said. "There's no way that was a normal memory, he had to have put something else into the diary."

"Indeed he did," Dumbledore said gravely.

Harry looked and Dumbledore and frowned. _'What exactly does Dumbledore know?'_

When Dumbledore didn't elaborate Dobby continued to read.

**Dumbledore took the diary from Harry and peered keenly down his long, crooked nose**

Fred and George snickered while Dumbledore looked amused.

**at its burnt and soggy pages.**

" **Brilliant," he said softly. "Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen."**

"Really?" A second year Hufflepuff asked.

"Oh yes," Dumbledore said his voice laced with something no one could decipher. "Tom Riddle was an exceptionally brilliant student; he was at the top of every class. He was also a prefect and head boy as you all learned earlier in the book."

**He turned around to the Weasleys, who were looking utterly bewildered.**

" **Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle.**

"Until now," Tracey said.

"We really should do something to let everyone know," Harry whispered to Hermione and Ron. "Show the world that he's nothing more than a hypocrite."

 **I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school… traveled far and wide… sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations,** **that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."**

"He doesn't look anything like he used to anymore," Harry said making a disgusted face.

"What does he look like?" Neville asked hesitantly.

"Horrible actually," Harry said bluntly. "He's bald with no eye brows and he has pale skin that's scaly like a snake, with red eyes and a snake like tongue. He doesn't look completely human."

Everyone looked repulsed at the description.

" **But, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley. "What's our Ginny got to do with — with — him?"**

" **His d-diary" Ginny sobbed. "I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year —"**

Ginny looked gloomily at the table. _'I should've known better than to write in it.'_

" **Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain? Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic!"**

"Dad," Bill groaned. "That probably wasn't the best time to lecture her."

"I know," Arthur sighed. "I was just so shocked that she would write in an object like that, that I just spoke without thinking."

**"I d-didn't know," sobbed Ginny. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it —"**

"I know now that I still should've been suspicious of it," Ginny mumbled.

" **Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," Dumbledore interrupted in a firm voice.**

"She should've come to me in the first place," Pomfrey said sounding like McGonagall.

**"This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment.**

"Good," Tonks said looking at the red head. "She was definitely punished enough already."

**Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." He strode over to the door and opened it. "Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate.**

"Dreamless sleep would have probably been better," Sprout murmured. "Merlin knows she must need it after that ordeal."

**I always find that cheers me up," he added, twinkling kindly down at her. "You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice — I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."**

"It's odd that on the same night Ginny gets taking down into the chamber the other victims are being revived," Tonks mused.

"Not really," Kingsley told her. "Riddle probably knew from Ginny that the mandrake potion would be ready that night, so he knew that he needed to act."

" **So Hermione's okay!" said Ron brightly.**

Ron blushed as the twins snickered.

"I was happy that she was okay," Ron mumbled.

"Thanks Ron," Hermione smiled at him.

" **There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," said Dumbledore.**

"Thankfully," Ginny said to herself.

**Mrs. Weasley led Ginny out, and Mr. Weasley followed, still looking deeply shaken.**

"Mum wasn't?" Charlie asked confused, that didn't sound like her.

"I was in shock," Molly said. "I only even heard half of what Harry said."

" **You know, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully to Professor McGonagall, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"**

"A feast?" Kingsley asked raising one eyebrow. "Wouldn't it be best if they slept?"

"No," Ron said looking horrified that anyone would think of turning down food.

"I enjoyed the feast," Harry said with a shrug.

" **Right," said Professor McGonagall crisply, also moving to the door. "I'll leave you to deal with Potter and Weasley, shall I?"**

"Deal with?" Bill said incredulously. "Surely they aren't about to be punished for saving Ginny?"

"We didn't," Ron assured his brother.

" **Certainly," said Dumbledore.**

**She left, and Harry and Ron gazed uncertainly at Dumbledore. What exactly had Professor McGonagall meant, deal with them? Surely — surely — they weren't about to be punished?**

"I thought for sure that we were going to be expelled," Harry said.

" **I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," said Dumbledore.**

Snorts were heard.

"Like he would ever expel Saint Potter," Draco sneered to Crabbe and Goyle.

**Ron opened his mouth in horror.**

" **Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words," Dumbledore went on, smiling.**

"He had me scared there for a moment," Ron muttered.

" **You will both receive Special Awards for Services to the School**

"You two have Special Awards for Services to the School?" Neville asked shocked.

"Yeah." Harry and Ron said.

"Where are they?" Dean asked.

"In the trophy room," Harry told him.

**and — let me see — yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor."**

Snape rolled his eyes. _'Of course he just had to give them enough points to win the house cup.'_

**Ron went as brightly pink as Lockhart's valentine flowers and closed his mouth again.**

"You just had to compare me to Lockhart's valentine flowers didn't you?" Ron groaned as the twins snickered.

Harry tried not to laugh. "I didn't write this book mate."

"Maybe not, but the book is based on your thoughts," Ron pointed out.

**"But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure," Dumbledore added. "Why so modest, Gilderoy?"**

"You're just noticing him?" Tonks asked.

"Oh no," Dumbledore said with his beard quivering. "I just didn't see the need to bother him until then."

**Harry gave a start. He had completely forgotten about Lockhart.**

"I don't blame you," Dean said waving his hand. "He isn't very important."

**He turned and saw that Lockhart was standing in a corner of the room, still wearing his vague smile. When Dumbledore addressed him, Lockhart looked over his shoulder to see who he was talking to.**

" **Professor Dumbledore," Ron said quickly, "there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart —"**

"It wasn't an accident," Charlie said looking intently at his youngest brother. "It was his fault for trying to obliviate you."

" **Am I a professor?" said Lockhart in mild surprise. "Goodness. I expect I was hopeless, was I?"**

The students burst out laughing; even some of the teachers were trying not to laugh.

"I like him so much better this way," George said between his laughter.

" **He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Ron explained quietly to Dumbledore.**

" **Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"**

"So you knew that he was a fraud who took the credit for other peoples work?" Tonks asked, shocked that Dumbledore would've known that and still hired him.

"I didn't know that he obliviated people in order to take credit for their accomplishments," Dumbledore told the Auror. "However I did know that he didn't do what he claimed to have done."

"Yet you hired him?" Tonks implored.

"As I said earlier, he was, unfortunately, the only one who applied for the job," Dumbledore answered.

" **Sword?" said Lockhart dimly. "Haven't got a sword. That boy has, though." He pointed at Harry. "He'll lend you one."**

Fred and George began laughing while other students snorted.

Ron chuckled. "I don't remember him saying that."

"I do," Harry said trying to stifle his laughter.

" **Would you mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary, too?" Dumbledore said to Ron.**

"That was horrible," Ron moaned. "He lost his memory yet he still felt the need to talk about himself the whole way there."

This caused the twins laughter to come back.

" **I'd like a few more words with Harry…"**

Everyone leaned in wanting to know what was so important that the headmaster couldn't say it in front of Ron.

Harry froze; he forgot that he spoke with Dumbledore after going into the chamber. Everyone is going to find out that I have a piece of Voldemort inside of me, no one knows besides Ron and Hermione and now everyone will.

**Lockhart ambled out. Ron cast a curious look back at Dumbledore and Harry as he closed the door.**

"I wasn't sure if I should leave you or not," Ron admitted. "I was worried."

Harry unfroze when he heard Ron talking to him; he forced a smile onto his face. "Thanks Ron."

Hermione and Ron could tell his smile was forced, they exchanged worried looks.

**Dumbledore crossed to one of the chairs by the fire.**

" **Sit down, Harry," he said, and Harry sat, feeling unaccountably nervous.**

"Why were you nervous?" Parvarti asked.

"I thought he knew that I wasn't telling him the whole story and that he wanted to know everything," Harry answered.

" **First of all, Harry, I want to thank you," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling again. "You must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you."**

"Is that really what happened?" Charlie asked curiously.

"Indeed," Dumbledore answered. "Fawkes took on a likeness for Harry; he could sense that he was in danger and that he was showing myself and the school loyalty."

**He stroked the phoenix, which had fluttered down onto his knee. Harry grinned awkwardly as Dumbledore watched him.**

**"And so you met Tom Riddle," said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "I imagine he was most interested in you…"**

"He's not interested with me," Harry said. "He's obsessed."

**Suddenly, something that was nagging at Harry came tumbling out of his mouth.**

" **Professor Dumbledore… Riddle said I'm like him. Strange likenesses, he said…"**

Hermione sighed. "You really shouldn't dwell on that Harry; you can't control the things that you two have in common."

" **Did he, now?" said Dumbledore, looking thoughtfully at Harry from under his thick silver eyebrows. "And what do you think, Harry?"**

" **I don't think I'm like him!" said Harry, more loudly than he'd intended. "I mean, I'm — I'm in Gryffindor, I'm…"**

"I assure you that there are many more differences between the two of you Mr. Potter," Amelia said eyeing him over her monocle. "From the one time previous that we met and from what we've read so far I can think of many differences."

"For one you have a heart," Tonks said. "He's a psychopath who happens to be missing his."

"You're brave and kind," Hermione told him smiling.

"You're helpful and loyal," Neville piped up.

"You don't look like a snake," Fred added seriously causing people to laugh.

"Thanks Fred," Harry said chuckling.

**But he fell silent, a lurking doubt resurfacing in his mind.**

" **Professor," he started again after a moment. "The Sorting Hat told me I'd — I'd have done well in Slytherin.**

"I don't know why I was so worried about that," Harry said rubbing his scar which had started to burn. "The house itself isn't bad and neither are all of the people in it."

"Then why were you so concerned about it Potter?" Blaise asked.

"Like I told everyone during the reading for the first book, I had heard horrible things about it," Harry told him.

**Everyone thought I was Slytherin's heir for a while… because I can speak Parseltongue…"**

Half of the hall shifted guiltily.

" **You can speak Parseltongue, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly, "because Lord Voldemort — who is the last remaining ancestor of Salazar Slytherin — can speak Parseltongue.**

That sentence confused everyone.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Neville asked. "It's not like they're related or anything."

Harry closed his eyes. _'Here is comes, they're all going to know now.'_

**Unless I'm much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar.**

"What?" Everyone yelled.

"So he is evil!" Umbridge yelled.

"Harry is not evil!" Hermione shouted standing up. "Just because Voldemort transferred some of his powers to Harry it doesn't mean that he's any different as a person! Harry can't control what happened to him when he was one year old. Would an evil person stop Voldemort from getting the philosophers stone? Would an evil person be best friends with a muggle-born and a blood traitor? Would an evil person hate the dark arts? No! Harry isn't evil, he's a kind-hearted person, and the most loyal and brave person I've ever met." Hermione glared around the hall before sitting back down.

Harry was staring blankly at the table and Ron's hand was on his shoulder as he glared at everyone as if daring them to say something.

"Ms Granger is correct," Dumbledore said in a commanding voice. "Harry is no different because of this; it only causes him to have an extra ability."

Umbridge glowered at the headmaster before switching to Harry and staring at him with a look of loathing.

"I don't think of you any differently," Neville said to Harry.

"Me either," Dean said. "You've been nothing but a good friend to me since first year."

The rest of the hall agreed with fueled Umbridge's anger.

**Not something he intended to do, I'm sure…"**

"I would think not," Tonks said dryly.

" **Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?" Harry said, thunderstruck.**

"I didn't want to believe it," Harry muttered. "I felt dirty."

Hermione put her head on his shoulder to comfort him.

" **It certainly seems so."**

" **So I should be in Slytherin," Harry said, looking desperately into Dumbledore's face. "The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin's power in me, and it —"**

" **Put you in Gryffindor," said Dumbledore calmly. "Listen to me, Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students.**

"You have the qualities of all four houses," Luna said speaking for the first time in a while. "You would've done well in any of them."

"Thanks Luna," Harry said smiling at the unusual girl.

**His own very rare gift, Parseltongue — resourcefulness — determination — a certain disregard for rules,"**

"That's more of a Gryffindor trait than a Slytherin one," Theodore said.

**he added, his mustache quivering again. "Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think."**

"He had just been through a traumatic event," Remus frowned. "You should've just told him."

" **It only put me in Gryffindor," said Harry in a defeated voice, "because I asked not to go in Slytherin…"**

"That makes all the difference in the world," Luna said dreamily. "It is our choices that show what we truly are."

"Well said Ms. Lovegood," Dumbledore said his mustache quivering.

" **Exactly," said Dumbledore, beaming once more. "Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."**

Everyone looked at the odd blonde Ravenclaw and Dumbledore smiled.

**Harry sat motionless in his chair, stunned. "If you want proof, Harry, that you belong in Gryffindor, I suggest you look more closely at this."**

**Dumbledore reached across to Professor McGonagall's desk, picked up the blood-stained silver sword, and handed it to Harry. Dully, Harry turned it over, the rubies blazing in the firelight. And then he saw the name engraved just below the hilt.**

**Godric Gryffindor**

The hall was stunned and the Gryffindors were staring at Harry wide eyed.

"You pulled out the sword of Gryffindor from the sorting hat?" A seventh year Gryffindor asked in awe.

"I thought that was only a legend," Bill said astounded.

"Wicked!" The twins said together.

"Do you still have it?" Fred asked quickly.

"No," Harry said chuckling at everyone's reactions. "I gave it back to Professor Dumbledore."

" **Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat, Harry," said Dumbledore simply.**

"That's amazing," Neville said. "It would be great to be able to do that."

"Maybe one day you will," Harry told him.

Neville shook his head. "That would never happen."

The trio exchanged looks.

"You don't give yourself enough credit Neville," Harry said. "You're a great wizard, you just lack confidence. In my opinion you're a true Gryffindor, I'm sure Godric would be proud to have you in his house."

Neville turned red. "Thanks."

**For a minute, neither of them spoke. Then Dumbledore pulled open one of the drawers in Professor McGonagall's desk and took out a quill and a bottle of ink.**

**"What you need, Harry, is some food and sleep. I suggest you go down to the feast, while I write to Azkaban —we need our gamekeeper back.**

The trio beamed at Hagrid who smiled back.

**And I must draft an advertisement for the Daily Prophet, too," he added thoughtfully. "We'll be needing a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher…**

"At least the next year we had a good one," Dean said.

"The best we've ever had," Harry said smiling at his ex-professor.

Umbridge snorted, but everyone ignored her including Fudge who was thinking of ways to salvage his career.

**Dear me, we do seem to run through them, don't we?"**

"Someone really needs to look into taking off that curse," Kingsley said.

"I've looked at it myself and had several curse breaking experts come," Dumbledore said. "I am afraid the only way for the curse to be removed is for Voldemort to die."

"That'll be easy," Tonks muttered.

**Harry got up and crossed to the door. He had just reached for the handle, however, when the door burst open so violently that it bounced back off the wall.**

"What now?" Tonks groaned.

**Lucius Malfoy stood there, fury in his face.**

Arthur looked furious at the mention of Lucius.

"What's that git doing there?" Fred scowled.

Draco didn't even bother to glare at him; he was too busy wondering why his father had been at Hogwarts.

**And cowering behind his legs, heavily wrapped in bandages, was Dobby.**

"Dobby?" The hall yelled.

"You work for the Malfoys?" Angelina asked.

Dobby looked like he wanted to punish himself so Harry quickly spoke. "You're okay Dobby."

Dobby relaxed. "Dobby used to work for the Malfoy family but not anymore."

" **Good evening, Lucius," said Dumbledore pleasantly.**

**Mr. Malfoy almost knocked Harry over as he swept into the room.**

Hermione and Molly both scowled at the book.

**Dobby went scurrying in after him, crouching at the hem of his cloak, a look of abject terror on his face.**

"Poor Dobby," Hermione sighed.

"Please don't start your SPEW talk Hermione," Ron groaned.

"I wasn't going to Ronald!" Hermione snapped. "And it isn't SPEW it's S P E W!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Like there's a difference," he muttered.

**The elf was carrying a stained rag with which he was attempting to finish cleaning Mr. Malfoys shoes. Apparently Mr. Malfoy had set out in a great hurry, for not only were his shoes half-polished, but his usually sleek hair was disheveled.**

"He must be worried about something," Arthur said. "Lucius never goes out looking like that." He spat Lucius' name like it was a horrible word.

**Ignoring the elf bobbing apologetically around his ankles, he fixed his cold eyes upon Dumbledore.**

" **So!" he said "You've come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts."**

"He should've never left in the first place," McGonagall said angrily.

" **Well, you see, Lucius," said Dumbledore, smiling serenely, "the other eleven governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth. They'd heard that Arthur Weasley's daughter had been killed**

The Weasley's flinched and Ginny shuddered.

**and wanted me back here at once.**

"Trying to save their own asses," Moody growled.

"Alastor!" The female teachers and Molly yelled.

"What?" Moody barked. "It's true."

**They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me, too… Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place."**

Snorts were heard as Draco scowled.

"That's a great way to run a school," Harry rolled his eyes. "But what can you expect when the government is run that way?"

Fudge didn't say anything he knew that his career was on the line after what he found out since reading these books.

Umbridge turned red and she swelled like a bullfrog. "How dare you!" She shrieked her toad-like face contorted with rage. "The ministry is run the way a ministry is supposed to be run!"

"So a ministry is supposed to be run by a man who accepts bribes from murdering death eaters?" Harry asked staring at her with an expressionless face.

"He does no such thing!" Umbridge yelled.

"Right," Harry said mockingly. "So if all of the ministry employees were forced to take veritaserum they would all come back as nice law-abiding citizens? Even you?"

Umbridge spluttered. "How dare you speak to me like that!" She turned to the other teachers. "Control him!"

None of the teachers said or did anything; they just stared back at her with raised eyebrows or blank faces. They all hated the corrupt woman, they may not approve of a student speaking like that to a teacher but when it came to Umbridge they didn't care. Finally, Dumbledore spoke, knowing that something needed to be said.

"Mr. Potter, Delores, now is not the time for this," Dumbledore said calmly which only served to infuriate the woman more. "If you wish to continue this argument then do so later."

Harry shrugged and turned back to his friends while Umbridge sat down while continuing to glare at Harry.

**Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were still slits of fury.**

" **So — have you stopped the attacks yet?" he sneered. "Have you caught the culprit?"**

"Why does he want to know?" Bill asked. "It's not like he cares."

" **We have," said Dumbledore, with a smile.**

" **Well?" said Mr. Malfoy sharply. "Who is it?"**

" **The same person as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary."**

**He held up the small black book with the large hole through the center, watching Mr. Malfoy closely.**

"You're acting like you expect him to know what it is," Moody said while both his eyes were trained on Dumbledore.

"How would Mr. Malfoy know what it is?" Blaise asked looking at Draco who was glaring at the Weasleys.

**Harry, however, was watching Dobby.**

**The elf was doing something very odd. His great eyes fixed meaningfully on Harry; he kept pointing at the diary, then at Mr. Malfoy, and then hitting himself hard on the head with his fist.**

"Mr. Malfoy gave the diary to Ginny!" Alicia yelled.

"What?" Tonks exclaimed. "He gave that dark object to a little girl?"

 _'I'm going to kill him.'_ Arthur thought as his fists clenched.

Amelia, Moody and Kingsley were thinking of ways to get him arrested for it.

Draco felt his stomach drop. His father gave that diary to the Weasley girl knowing the chamber would open? While he was at school?

Everyone was yelling insults then they turned to Draco who was glaring at everyone trying not to let his emotions show.

"You're evil!" "I can't believe your father would do something like that!"

The teachers were about to call for silence but Harry beat them to it.

"Shut up!" Harry yelled standing up and everyone fell silent. "It isn't Draco's fault." Shock showed on Draco's face for a moment before his face fell into a blank mask. "You can't blame the son for the sins of the father. Draco was only twelve when his father gave Ginny the diary; he was here and in danger just as much as we were. Mr. Malfoy wasn't controlling the basilisk, Tom Riddle was, and Riddle could care less who he hurts, the children of his followers or not. So before you go blaming Draco for something he had absolutely no control over think about that." He sat back down and looked defiantly at all the shocked looks he was receiving.

Draco was completely shocked that Harry had stood up for him. _'Why did he do that...? He actually called me Draco...Why does Potter have to be so bloody forgiving and noble?'_

Snape was looking at Harry with no emotion although inside he was confused. _'First the Potter brat says he doesn't think all Slytherins are evil, and now he's defending Draco, someone he has never gotten along with.'_ Severus clenched and unclenched his hands. _'Maybe he's more like Lily than James, maybe I shouldn't be so hard on the boy.'_ He quickly squashed that thought and looked away.

Dumbledore smiled. _'We seem to be on our way to house unity.'_

" **I see…" said Mr. Malfoy slowly to Dumbledore.**

" **A clever plan," said Dumbledore in a level voice, still staring Mr. Malfoy straight in the eye.**

"Unfortunately it was," Harry muttered to Ron "There's no way for him to get blamed for it."

**"Because if Harry here —"**

**Mr. Malfoy shot Harry a swift, sharp look "and his friend Ron hadn't discovered this book, why — Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame. No one would ever have been able to prove she hadn't acted of her own free will…"**

"She could have been thrown in Azkaban?" Bill and Charlie asked in horror.

Ginny paled at the thought of being sent to Azkaban.

"I wouldn't have allowed that to happen I assure you," Dumbledore assured them. "But thanks to Harry and Ron it never got that far."

"Thank goodness," Molly muttered, although she was still furious to know that Lucius had been behind the whole thing.

**Mr. Malfoy said nothing. His face was suddenly mask like.**

" **And imagine," Dumbledore went on, "what might have happened then… The Weasleys are one of our most prominent pure-blood families. Imagine the effect on Arthur Weasley and his Muggle Protection Act,**

Arthur paled. "He did it to set me up."

"It's not your fault Arthur," Kingsley said. "He would've used the diary eventually; it would've just been someone else's daughter. As horrible as it is, we're lucky that it was during a time when someone like Harry was around, otherwise people could've died."

 **if his own daughter was discovered attacking and — killing Muggleborns… Very fortunate the diary was discovered, and Riddle's memories wiped from it.** **Who knows what the consequences might have been otherwise…"**

Ginny shivered not wanting to think about what might've happened.

**Mr. Malfoy forced himself to speak.**

" **Very fortunate," he said stiffly.**

"That sounds sincere," Tonks sneered sounding like a Black.

**And still, behind his back, Dobby was pointing, first to the diary, then to Lucius Malfoy, then punching himself in the head.**

"How sweet," Molly said smiling at Dobby. "You're trying to help him even at the risk to your master seeing."

"Dobby wanted to help Harry Potter, even if it meant Dobby got punished," Dobby said nodding his head.

Harry smiled at his odd little friend. "Thanks Dobby."

**And Harry suddenly understood. He nodded at Dobby, and Dobby backed into a corner, now twisting his ears in punishment.**

Hermione scowled and muttered something about cruel masters and house elf rights.

" **Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?" said Harry.**

"That's something I'd like to know," Arthur growled.

**Lucius Malfoy rounded on him.**

" **How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" he said.**

"She is not a stupid little girl!" The Weasley's, Harry, Hermione, Neville, Luna and Ginny's friends yelled.

"Thanks guys," Ginny said quietly. "But it was stupid of me to write back to a talking diary."

"You were only eleven," Bill told her.

"I know," Ginny sighed. "But I did know better."

" **Because you gave it to her," said Harry. "In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn't you?"**

**He saw Mr. Malfoy's white hands clench and unclench.**

"That would be a yes," Bill said angrily.

" **Prove it," he hissed.**

"Oh I will." Arthur and Moody both growled.

" **Oh, no one will be able to do that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry. "Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you…"**

"I will," Arthur said venomously. "You can be sure of that."

**Lucius Malfoy stood for a moment, and Harry distinctly saw his right hand twitch as though he was longing to reach for his wand.**

"Oh I would've loved to see that," Charlie smirked. "He wouldn't have stood a chance against Dumbledore."

**Instead, he turned to his house-elf. "We're going, Dobby!"**

**He wrenched open the door and as the elf came hurrying up to him, he kicked him right through it.**

Angry glares were directed at the book.

"That's despicable!" Katie gasped.

"How could someone anyone like that?" Angelina asked horrified.

"This is exactly why house elves need rights," Hermione said frowning.

**They could hear Dobby squealing with pain all the way along the corridor.**

Hermione's frown deepened.

**Harry stood for a moment, thinking hard. Then it came to him —**

"Oh no." Almost the whole hall groaned.

"What?" Harry asked. Looking around.

"Your ideas seem to not work very well," Dean told him.

Harry mock glared at him. "Well this one does work."

" **Professor Dumbledore," he said hurriedly. "Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?"**

"You're giving the book back to him?" Moody demanded. "That could've been used as evidence against him."

Harry raised his hands in surrender. "I didn't know that at the time."

**"Certainly, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly.**

"You let him?" Remus asked shocked.

"More importantly, you let him go talk to an angry Lucius Malfoy alone?" Tonks said, her hair turning red.

"I was watching him from afar," Dumbledore assured them. "And I knew that Dobby wouldn't allow harm to befall Harry."

**"But hurry. The feast, remember…"**

**Harry grabbed the diary and dashed out of the office. He could hear Dobby's squeals of pain receding around the corner. Quickly, wondering if this plan could possibly work, Harry took off one of his shoes, pulled off his slimy, filthy sock, and stuffed the diary into it.**

"Ew." Some of the girly girls squealed.

"Why would you give him a sock?" Dean asked looking at him oddly.

Moody realized what he was going to do and he gave a loud bark like laugh. "Good one Potter?"

Most of the hall looked confused. Just what exactly was he getting congratulated for?

**Then he ran down the dark corridor.**

**He caught up with them at the top of the stairs.**

" **Mr. Malfoy," he gasped, skidding to a halt, "I've got something for you —"**

**And he forced the smelly sock into Lucius Malfoy's hand.**

Many people snorted.

"I would've loved to see his face when you did that," Tonks chuckled. "He's probably never touched something so filthy in all of his life."

" **What the —?"**

**Mr. Malfoy ripped the sock off the diary, threw it aside, then looked furiously from the ruined book to Harry. "You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter," he said softly. "They were meddlesome fools, too."**

Gasps and growls escaped the mouths of everyone in the hall. Snuffles was growling loudly at the book.

"How can he say such a thing to a child?" Sprout asked with her hand over her mouth.

**He turned to go.**

" **Come, Dobby. I said, come."**

**But Dobby didn't move. He was holding up Harry's disgusting, slimy sock, and looking at it as though it were a priceless treasure.**

" **Master has given a sock," said the elf in wonderment. "Master gave it to Dobby."**

Dobby read that sentence with tears in his eyes, once he read it he turned to Harry and smiled, which Harry returned.

The hall was silent for a few seconds before everyone burst into laughter.

"I can't believe that actually worked," Fred guffawed.

"Serves the git right," Charlie said.

Draco scowled, that's not how his father said Dobby was freed. He was told that Dobby messed up too much and that he had been given clothes as a punishment.

" **What's that?" spat Mr. Malfoy. "What did you say?"**

" **Got a sock," said Dobby in disbelief. "Master threw it, and Dobby caught it, and Dobby — Dobby is free."**

"Most elves wouldn't want to be free," Terry said. "They see it as being disgraceful, and will do anything to avoid getting clothes."

Hermione frowned. "But that's not right."

"I'm not saying that it is, I'm just saying that, that's how house elves are," Terry told her. "But most house elves aren't treated like that, I know mine aren't. We have two and we would never punish ours, and they're both perfectly happy."

"That does make sense," Ron said. "Remember Winky?"

"Yes," Hermione's frown deepened.

"It's good that you want to help the house elves Hermione," Remus told her gently. "But most truly are happy working."

Hermione looked thoughtful and she nodded.

**Lucius Malfoy stood frozen, staring at the elf then he lunged at Harry.**

"He what?" Everyone shouted.

"How dare he," Tonks hissed.

"I was fine," Harry said quickly before everyone could start freaking out.

" **You've lost me my servant, boy!"**

 **But Dobby shouted, "You shall not harm Harry Potter!"** **There was a loud bang, and Mr. Malfoy was thrown backward. He crashed down the stairs, three at a time, landing in a crumpled heap on the landing below.**

The hall was once more filled with laughter.

"Go Dobby!" The twins and Lee chanted.

**He got up, his face livid, and pulled out his wand,**

McGonagall's eyes narrowed at the book.

**but Dobby raised a long, threatening finger.**

" **You shall go now," he said fiercely, pointing down at Mr. Malfoy. "You shall not touch Harry Potter. You shall go now."**

"I like you Dobby," Tonks said smiling at the elf.

"Thank you Miss," Dobby squeaked happily.

**The elf's ugly brown face split suddenly into a wide, toothy smile.**

"Harry!" Hermione admonished while Ron snickered.

" **I've just got one question, Dobby," said Harry as Dobby pulled on Harry's sock with shaking hands.**

The girls in the hall were turning green.

"That's disgusting," Parvarti shuddered.

"That's Dobby's favorite sock," Dobby said with a wide smile.

"You still have it?" Lavender asked wrinkling her nose.

"Oh yes," Dobby nodded his head enthusiastically. "Dobby will keep it forever."

The majority of the people in the hall looked sick but the trio were giving everyone sharp looks so no one said anything.

**"You told me all this had nothing to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, remember? Well —"**

" **It was a clue, sir," said Dobby, his eyes widening, as though this was obvious. "Was giving you a clue. The Dark Lord, before he changed his name, could be freely named, you see?"**

"How would anyone possibly understand that?" Neville asked.

"I didn't even get it," Hermione said but she noticed Dobby's ears droop and his smile fall so she quickly added. "But it was a good clue; we would've understood it if only we had known his real name." Dobby brightened and Hermione sighed in relief, she didn't want the elf to feel bad.

" **Right," said Harry weakly. "Well, I'd better go. There's a feast, and my friend Hermione should be awake by now…"**

**Dobby threw his arms around Harry's middle and hugged him.**

" **Harry Potter is greater by far than Dobby knew!" he sobbed.**

Harry turned red as some people nodded in agreement.

**"Farewell, Harry Potter!"**

**And with a final loud crack, Dobby disappeared.**

**Harry had been to several Hogwarts feasts, but never one quite like this. Everybody was in their pyjamas,**

"That was the greatest feast ever," Ron said thinking of all the good food.

"I liked having a feast in our pyjamas," Hannah said.

"It was interesting seeing what everyone wore to bed," Justin chuckled remembering some of the pyjamas people wore.

**and the celebration lasted all night. Harry didn't know whether the best bit was Hermione running toward him, screaming "You solved it! You solved it!"**

Hermione and Harry exchanged smiles.

"We couldn't have done it without you," Harry told her.

**or Justin hurrying over from the Hufflepuff table to wring his hand and apologize endlessly for suspecting him,**

Justin smiled at Harry and Harry returned it.

"I can't believe we ever thought it was him," Justin whispered to Ernie.

Ernie looked guilty. "I know, especially since he's best friends with a muggle-born."

**or Hagrid turning up at half-past three, cuffing Harry and Ron so hard on the shoulders that they were knocked into their plates of trifle,**

The twins snickered and Harry and Ron mock glared at them.

**or his and Ron's four hundred points for Gryffindor securing the House Cup for the second year running,**

The Gryffindors cheered as loud as they had on the day they won.

**or Professor McGonagall standing up to tell them all that the exams had been cancelled as a school treat**

"That was my favourite part." The twins said together.

"Of course it was," McGonagall said dryly.

**("Oh, no!" said Hermione),**

The twins snorted while everyone else sent her amused looks.

**or Dumbledore announcing that, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year, owing to the fact that he needed to go away and get his memory back. Quite a few of the teachers joined in the cheering that greeted this news.**

The hall cheered, even those who didn't attend Hogwarts at the time when Lockhart taught.

**"Shame," said Ron, helping himself to a jam doughnut. "He has starting to grow on me."**

Some people snickered including Ron.

**The rest of the final term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts was back to normal with only a few, small differences — Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were cancelled ("but we've had plenty of practice at that anyway," Ron told a disgruntled Hermione)**

Hermione huffed. "You can never have too much practice, Ronald."

Ron rolled his eyes.

**and Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor.**

"Good," Arthur muttered.

**Draco was no longer strutting around the school as though he owned the place. On the contrary, he looked resentful and sulky.**

Draco chose to glare at the book instead of at Harry.

**On the other hand, Ginny Weasley was perfectly happy again.**

"I wasn't perfectly happy," Ginny said. "It took a while for me to be back to normal."

Molly and Arthur looked sadly at their daughter.

**They were almost at King's Cross when Harry remembered something.**

" **Ginny – what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?"**

" **Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling. "Well — Percy's got a girlfriend."**

 **Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head.** " **What?"**

Snorts were heard.

"You dropped a stack of books on his head?" Angelina asked with raised eyebrows.

Fred shrugged.

" **It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny.**

" **That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was — you know — attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" she added anxiously.**

"Nice try," Bill said. "You know they will."

Ginny sighed. "I don't know why I thought they wouldn't."

" **Wouldn't dream of it," said Fred, who was looking like his birthday had come early.**

Percy looked at the twins in exasperation but the twins just smiled at him.

"You know we love you oh brother of ours," George said.

"But it's our duty to make fun of you," Fred said grinning.

Percy just shook his head.

" **Definitely not," said George, sniggering.**

**The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped.**

**Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment and turned to Ron and Hermione.**

**"This is called a telephone number," he told Ron, scribbling it twice, tearing the parchment in two, and handing it to them. "I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer — he'll know. Call me at the Dursleys', okay? I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to…"**

"That was a mistake," Harry sighed and Ron turned red.

"Why?" Dean frowned.

"I'm sure it'll be in the book," Harry told him.

**"Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier. "When they hear what you did this year?"**

Harry snorted.

Hermione turned red from all the incredulous looks she was receiving. "At the time I knew they were bad but I didn't know they were that bad."

**"Proud?" said Harry. "Are you crazy? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll** **be** **furious…"**

Snuffles growled and the rest of the hall glared at the book and muttered insults about the Dursley's, even the Slytherins looked annoyed.

**And together they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world.**

"That's the end of the book," Dobby said as he closed the book.

The hall broke into conversations as Dumbledore levitated the book to his hand.

"I think we shall have lunch now, and then we shall proceed with reading the third book,"

At that the plates in the great hall instantly filled themselves with food, as people helped themselves they began to talk amongst themselves,

* * *

"I can't believe he fought that giant snake and won," said Daphne to Tracey, Lily and Astoria

"I know quite amazing really" replied Lily giving her friend a knowing look

"Oh shush" said replied Daphne half-heartedly, whilst her friend and sister laughed and then 

"I don't know how he seems so normal after everything he's seen, done and been through," Daphne told her best friend as she watched Harry walk back into the great hall.

"Everything affects people differently," Tracey said. "From what we've read about his home life, it obviously wasn't great. He's had a pretty horrible life up until Hogwarts, so he sees things differently.

Daphne frowned and looked thoughtfully at the fifth year Gryffindor. "I think we should try talking to him some more."

"Oh?" Tracey said. "Any particular reason?"

"Not really, I just have this feeling that I should try to get to know him."

Tracey smirked at her best friend. "Whatever you say."

A few seats down Draco was staring at the same fifth year Gryffindor as Daphne.

 _'Maybe Potter isn't so bad after all.'_ Draco thought as he stabbed at the lasagna on his plate. _'I wonder if we would've been friends if I wouldn't have insulted Weasley on the train four years ago. Would Potter be in Slytherin? Would we be best friends instead of him, Weasley and Granger?'_ He felt like clawing his eyes out, why was he feeling anything other than contempt for Potter, after all, they were enemies. Weren't they? _'He did stand up for me...And I don't want to be a death eater...I don't want to kill anyone...I don't think I could even if I wanted to...Why is this all so damn confusing?..I'm starting to think like a bloody girl.'_


End file.
